Traffic Performance in H1 2026: a steady first half

The first half of 2026 saw overall stable sea traffic volumes, despite a challenging operating environment characterised by increased competitive pressure and capacity constraints at some terminals.

The Mersin service was affected by a reduction in weekly calls and, subsequently, by capacity limitations at the PLT terminal. When the third weekly call was reinstated, only one of the three vessels could be handled at PLT, while the remaining two were diverted to the terminal operated by Samer Seaports & Terminals (SST). This operational adjustment helped maintain SST's overall volumes, supported by the strong performance of the Damietta service, which continued to operate close to full capacity.

The most significant change concerned container traffic: a reduction in volumes from one of the main customers resulted in a decrease in TEUs handled. However, the considerable increase in average weight per unit helped keep overall tonnage broadly stable.

Persistent congestion at the port of Çeşme also required an operational adjustment. The Wednesday Ulusoy vessel was fully redirected to the TIMT terminal, resulting in an increase of approximately 30% in TIMT's import tonnage. At the same time, the Ulusoy service continued to grow, with Ro-Ro traffic progressively accounting for a larger share of the service compared with containers.

Overall, traffic with Türkiye remained stable despite the country's still-fragile economic environment. At the same time, trade with Egypt continued to grow strongly, putting pressure on available capacity and leading to the introduction of a second weekly rotation from mid-October.

Rail traffic

The main development in rail traffic concerned the Duisburg service. The line handled at PLT progressively lost traffic and has been inactive since early April. Most volumes were redirected to the Cologne line operated at SST, while DFDS also arranged additional Duisburg departures directly from SST, effectively shifting part of the rail business from PLT to SST.

Between April and May, Samer also operated a limited number of unusual tank-wagon services carrying fuel.

Overall rail traffic remained broadly stable, with 1,603 trains handled in H1 2026, compared with 1,647 in the same period of 2025, representing a 2.7% decrease.

Overall, the first half of the year highlights the ability of the terminals and services to adapt to changing traffic flows, demand and operating conditions while maintaining broadly stable overall volumes.