Turkey is best positioned to become the home of international rail manufacturing as Africa, Latin America and the Middle East look to double the size of their networks by 2022, a new report has found.
Africa will experience the most intense growth in the rail supply market over the next few years – according to research by Frost & Sullivan – as key regions enter a period of relative political stability.
However, Turkey has been tipped as possibly the biggest winner, with its location likely to be highly sought after for delivering projects in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
The report also found that although global mainline freight and passenger levels had returned to normal following the economic downturn, rail investment in Europe remained ‘constrained due to the ongoing debt environment’.
Shyam Raman, Frost & Sullivan automotive and transportation research analyst, said: “Despite these challenges, governments are trying to revive the economy by creating direct and indirect jobs through infrastructure and public transport development, either by funding or by establishing regulations that create higher demand.
“Efficiency requirements will spur the global adoption of advanced asset and fleet management tools such as remote diagnostics, passenger information and asset planning.”
The Rail Outlook Study 2013-2022 also highlights positive trends in China and Europe.
