Rail Ferry Line to Russia to boost trade

Samsun-Kavkaz Rail Ferry Line, a project worth TL10 million, was launched in a ceremony yesterday. The line will ease the freight shipping from Russia to Central Asia and the Middle East via Samsun. Participating in the opening ceremony with his Russian counterpart Maxim Sokolov, Transportation, Maritime and Communication Minister Binali Yildirim stated that their aim was to increase the current Russian-Turkish trade volume of $33 billion to $100 billion in 2015. "Today, we are launching the combined transportation of sea and rail ways," Yildirim added. For his part, Sokolov said, "The line proves that we have done what was necessary to achieve our goal. Indeed, this is not the easy way, but I am sure it will prove useful." As from December 22, 2010, 63 thousand tonnes of freight has been transported by 2,298 wagons on the Samsun-Kavkaz Rail Ferry Line in 62 test runs.