The letter titled "Train Ferry Operation Between Tekirdağ and Bandırma and in the Vice Versa", forwarded to our Association by the General Directorate of State Railways Transportation Inc., is attached for your information.

Upon requests from railway sector stakeholders; railway freight transportation The project, which was launched by our organization in April 2025, was designed to support the service, save time, increase cost effectiveness, and improve global logistics by operating a train ferry between the ports of Bandırma and Tekirdağ as an alternative to the Marmaray tube route. The train ferry, with its 800-meter rail length, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and carries 2.8 million tons of cargo annually between the ports of Bandırma and Tekirdağ with an average sailing time of four hours. The train ferry service, especially the transportation of hazardous materials, exceptional and strategic military items, has made train ferry transportation an important alternative to the Marmaray tube crossing. By the end of 2025, the cost of ferry crossings will be reduced to that of railways. In addition to not being reflected in transportation charges, it is also intended to provide exporters with a competitive advantage through a price tariff advantage of up to 20%. Thanks to the train ferry put into service for the Marmara Sea crossing, railway freight transportation between Asia and Europe and vice versa has gained an economic advantage, and the train ferry corridor in question has transformed into a strategic logistics corridor and increased international trade efficiency. At the same time, train and ferry transportation will support regional development, facilitate exporters" access to the international market, and provide a strategic contribution to Türkiye"s logistics infrastructure. We hope that demand for freight transport via the Bandırma-Tekirdağ railway, which has been launched in line with incoming demand, will increase daily. In line with our country"s 2053 vision, the investment and development initiatives implemented in railways are highly valued and supported by all stakeholders. It is of great importance. We request all units within your Union to ensure the necessary cooperation and contribution to the Tekirdağ-Bandırma train and ferry transportation and to show the necessary sensitivity to this issue.