Railroad Lover Yaşar Rota

Yaşar Rota, whose grandfather and father are also railwaymen, has been working in many levels of TCDD for 41 years. Since his retirement in 2005, he is among the names that pioneered the development of railway education in Turkey.

Yaşar Rota, who has written articles about railway in our magazine for about 4 years, also works as the General Manager of the Railway Transport Association (DTD) and as an Instructor at Anadolu University Porsuk Vocational School. His grandfather and father Yasar demiryolc the route, the Republic of Turkey State Railways (TCDD) in 1964, a full 2005 years doing mission until 41. Yaşar Rota, who started to work as a Movement Officer at TCDD at the age of 18, retires when he was last Deputy Head of the Movement Department. Yaşar Rota, who works for the promotion of the railway sector after the retirement and especially for the development of the train system, is passionately committed to the railway. Hardworking, investigating having a personality Yasar Route Transporte explained the importance of Turkey in the life of the railway sector and the railway.

THE FIRE'S SON IS MOVEMENT OFFICER

How many years have you been a railroad?

I was a railroader before I was born. My grandfather was responsible for road maintenance and repair at Ağapınar Station between Eskişehir and Ankara between 1920-1926 during the War of Independence. So I'm a grandfather. The Germans operated Anatolian railroads in the 1920s when my grandfather served on the railways. The legislation was in French. At the beginning of the War of Independence, in 1920, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's close friend, Colonel Behiç (Erkin) appointed the Bey as the General Director of the railway. French railway legislation which Behiç translated into Turkish Bey has scored a number of important developments for the development of railway in Turkey. The railway was a vital mode of transportation in that period as it was in every period. Railway logistics has been the biggest factor in winning the War of Independence. Like my grandfather, my father worked on the railway.

And what was your father's job on the railroad?

Towards the end of the 1930s, my father started the railway as a firefighter in steam locomotives in Bilecik. Then he became a machinist and warehouse chief. I also had the chance to work with my father.

When did you start the railroad?

I started working as a Movement Officer on the railway at the age of 18. I adored my father and my father was the biggest factor in choosing this profession. After graduating from Railway Vocational High School in 1964, I started working at Alpullu station between Karaağaç (Edirne) -Istanbul. There were only 2 people who graduated from Railway Vocational High School or high school among those working in that line section at that time. Some of my dream maneuvers were just literate.

When you retired from TCDD, what job were you in?

I retired in 2005 when I was Vice President of the TCDD Movement Department. At that time, the Movement Department was responsible for the management of TCDD's passenger and freight transport and traffic. It was an apartment with about 10 people and all stations connected.

When was the total value of the 41 year active railroad?

When I started working, the railway had a very important place in people. Immigration to Istanbul took place by rail, wars were made by rail, people used the railroad because the highway between cities was not very developed. This also increased the sympathy towards the railroader. Since a station had to be built every 20 kilometers due to railway management, there could be villages with 50 houses in the places you worked, there were villages where there was no village, it could also be a city. The families of the railroaders brought their cultures to those places, and the people living there were affected by it. Let me tell you something more interesting; From the 1920s to the 1960s, when there was no proper school, road and communication in Turkey, the railway administration takes the children of its employees to places where there are schools at intermediate stations all over Turkey. They were staying in hostels created here. In hostels, foster mothers and even foreign-speaking governesses looked after the young children, brought them to and from their schools, washed and fed them.

Did you grow up?

I didn't grow up that way. Because we had schools where we were. But there were many who read just as I said. Railways said: You live in the stations, I will bring your doctor to your feet every week. The doctor examines the prescription by sending the train to the medicine store, the drugs are coming to you. He brought the cinema to the feet of the railway workers. I watched the first cinema in my life on railways. He brought our salary to our feet. The railways put the cashier in the wagon and we were getting our salaries from there. Market wagons were used to sell food, beverages and clothing to the staff at the intermediate stations. Railways were organizing special camps for their employees to take their children and make a holiday.

Can we say that? In the 1960s Turkey was in need of the railway, but now not so much in need, but would have to do something for the needy in the future.

Turkey industry, has developed the production and export. The share of the rail in this mobility has dropped. The highway became the dominant mode of transportation. This is an uneven distribution. A 94 percent share went to the highway, while only 4 percent went to the railway. This brings with it a wide variety of problems. Such as traffic density, environmental pollution, traffic accidents. It is difficult to transport large amounts of cargo by road.

It will be invested in the railway for 10 years in Turkey. However, the share of the railway in total transportation 10 years ago was 4 percent, currently 4 percent.

There was no change in the share, but the amount was increased. For example, if the 10 15 is carrying a million tons of cargo a year ago, the 25 carries a million loads.

OK railway is developing in Turkey but especially in the private sector wants the kind provided enactment of a draft law on liberalization.

I follow this issue closely and I know that the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication in TCDD is in favor of liberalization in the private sector. But this could not be removed under the developing conditions. Another important issue in Turkey is passing in front of it I would say.

Then can we say the law is dead this year?

There is only such a thing. The government and the ministry want this very much. In May 2012 previously prepared two draft laws called Turkey Draft Law on the Liberalization of Railway Transport were merged into a single bill. Everyone's opinion was taken and this draft was submitted to the Prime Ministry. In expectation was this; take out before budget negotiations. He was approaching like this in the Ministry, but could not come out due to other developments. The current approach shows that it will be released in January.

Are there any points that the private sector has objected to?

We had no objection. However, the draft stated to be established in Turkey General Directorate of Railway Transport Corporation (TÜRKTR the) 5-year transition period will be given to private companies to encourage and ease of administering the demand. Because all conditions must be in free competition conditions. Otherwise, the private sector will be unable to perform railway operations in an unfair competition environment. For this reason, the incentives given for the competition on the railroad should be recognized in the private sector. This enables the system to operate and improve faster.

Let's say the law is out. Is today enough for liberalization?

At the moment the infrastructure is not quite enough. Maintenance and renewal of all lines until 2023 on railways is to not leave the railway line without electrification and without signaling.

I wonder if the law for the end of the infrastructure is thought?

The investment share allocated to railways for the last 3 years is more than highways. In this year's budget, 56 percent of the share allocated to the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications has been allocated to railways and 28 percent to highways. This will continue increasingly. The current 56 percent budget share is about 8 billion liras. 10 years ago, a point where 300-400 million TL was spent was reached.

It is stated that 2023 thousand people will be employed on the railway until 30. Is the figure really that much?
It's a whole new and growing system. A great human resource is needed, for sure. But the training institutions that will raise the human resources should prepare themselves for this future.

Let us assume that 30 will employ a thousand people. Where would the 30 thousand railway train be trained?

So hard. this is a big problem in Turkey. As DTD, we are in close cooperation with universities in this regard. In addition, as an association, we provide sector employees with trainings on Railway.

What are the top issues to be addressed in the sector?

Education, education, training.

Can you give us a little information about the forth project for the development of railway in Turkey?

10 thousand kilometers of high speed railway and 4 thousand kilometers of conventional (normal road without fast skin) railway. Currently, one in three of our existing roads does not have electrification and signalization. Other than that, our roads are old and need care. All infrastructure improvements will be made by 3. Currently Turkey has 2023 thousand kilometers of railway line. It will increase to 12 thousand kilometers by 2023. All will be electrified and signaled. Currently, the cargo carried by rail is 26 million tons. In 25, 2023 million tons of cargo will be transported annually.

And there are foreigners coming to invest, right?

They are waiting to be released. Since it is a monopoly, it can be established as an investment in a logistics company here, or it can undertake the construction of new roads.