Dmitrij Hasenkampf, General Director of Sales and Business Development at RTSB, began by describing his company, which was founded in 1996 and has rapidly expanded its presence in the former CIS market through transport between Europe and countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Belarus. The company is currently present in 22 locations around the world, mainly on the Eurasian continent, with a staff of approximately 350 employees and successfully operating more than 3,000 trains between Europe, China and the CIS countries last year.
RTSB occupies one of the leading positions in the Eurasian market, quickly adapting to the requirements of the corridors and offering a wide range of services in any country involved in transport between Europe and Asia. Over nearly 30 years of operation, the company has developed significant assets, including depots around the world and ownership of more than 30,000 containers.
The company offers comprehensive solutions, including operations with block trains and single containers between Europe, Central Asia, Russia, Belarus and China, as well as various local services such as tracking, auto delivery and customs clearance. Despite its long operating experience, the company continues to integrate new services and technologies, confirming its role as a key player in the Central Asian transportation corridor.
“In 2014, RTSB began operating block trains between Baku and Poti, which subsequently led to the development of a route from China to Poti. In 2020, the company also successfully operated a train that traveled from Turkey to Sian in 14 days through the Kars-Akhalkalaki border crossing, setting record delivery times.
In 2022, during the period of hostilities in Ukraine, RTSB actively developed the middle corridor, attracting the interest of cargo owners to alternative multimodal transportation. As a rail transport operator, the company faced challenges along the route due to the unstable situation.
Currently, the joint venture between Kazakh, Azerbaijani and Georgian railways represents a new structure capable of operating assets and developing pricing policies. It is expected that the opening of the Kars crossing will entail an improvement in the economic efficiency of the route, which can be supported by investments, especially from China, which has demonstrated its willingness to subsidize transportation and expand this route to Poti,” shared Dmitrij Hasenkampf.
Poti is growing in importance as a major hub for the distribution of goods in Europe, offering access to a variety of destinations including Romania, Istanbul, Trieste and others. However, there is a need to increase cargo flow in the Asian direction, especially in the context of the EU sanctions policy, which limits commodity flows.
In the context of growing interest in green transportation, rail solutions are becoming the first choice for cargo owners. The industry must respond quickly and offer efficient and environmentally friendly options, although significant investment is required to compete with shipping.
“Although China has expressed its willingness to invest, EU participation in the northern and southern corridors remains limited. However, it is necessary to prepare for an increase in cargo flows, taking into account the problems arising in the process and striving for competitive solutions similar to those that were successfully implemented in 2020,” concluded Dmitrij Hasenkampf.