integration of pan-european corridor x to the network of rail freight corridors how to convert...

2nd Conference <Railway Infrastructure in the Region> – Belgrade, April 17th, 2015

Thomas Wimroither – Association <Corridor X PLUS>, Secretary General

Integration of Pan-European Corridor X to the Network of Rail Freight Corridors

How to Convert Pan-European Corridor X into a Railway Axis of Prosperity

Attracting more Traffic to Corridor X

Some recent trends in European transport policy with reference to the development of a trans-

European corridor network seem to marginalise the most important transport axis for the

Western Balkan region, which is undoubtedly Pan-European Corridor X.

In this regard the EU-Regulation 913/2010 concerning a European rail network for competitive

freight serves as appropriate example in providing the implementation of several new Rail-

Freight-Corridors such as the more eastern located Pan-European Corridor IV as new Rail-Freight-

Corridor 7, but unfortunately not of Corridor X. (Other EU-Regulations in this respect are e.g. No.

1315/2013 on Union guidelines of the trans-European transport network as well as 1316/2013

establishing the Connecting Europe Facility).

For this very reason numerous stakeholders along Corridor X started to pool their forces for the

purpose of meeting all requirements for an integration of Corridor X to the future Rail-Freight-

Corridor-Network according to EU-Regulation 913/2010.2

Introduction

3Attracting more Traffic to Corridor X

Introduction

The 9 core network corridors defined in the CEF (Connecting European Facility)

(Schematic indicative map as provided for under Art 44(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013)


I. What is a Rail-Freight-Corridor?

II. How other Rail-Freight Corridors perform?

III. What has been achieved? – What still needs to be done?

IV. Conclusions

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Table of Contents

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Regulation (EU) No. 913/2010concerning a European rail network for competitive freight

• is the basis for the implementation of 9 Rail-Freight-Corridors (RFCs) almost all over Europe

• aims at a professional corridor approach of the railway infrastructure managers towards customers (railway undertakings, terminal owners and operators, ports, forwarders, logistic providers etc.) that makes borders disappear

• ensures harmonised investment plans along each corridor in accordance with a corridor-wide elaborated transport market study focussing on real market developments and addressing customer needs

• provides one single ONE-STOP-SHOP for each corridor as single contact point for customers interested in using the corridor



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Regulation (EU) No. 913/2010concerning a European rail network for competitive freight

• aims at a harmonised approach with regard to capacity allocation the management of network operation performance management for freight trains the trans-national coordination of maintenance-works

• requires the publication of trans-national corridor-information-documents for the whole corridor as marketing- and sales-tool

• takes into account the needs of passenger transport

• in order to attract more freight traffic to such RFCs



Attracting more traffic to Corridor X 7

Corridor X is situated

in the vicinity of

• Rail-Freight-Corridor 5 –

Baltic-Adriatic (as of 2015)

• RFC 6 – Mediterrenean

(since 2013)

• RFC 7 – Orient-/East-Med

(since 2013)

• RFC 9 – Rhine-Danube (not

later than 2020)




On the Part of the Railways• The member railway infrastructure managers of the Association Corridor X PLUS

agreed on a routing for a new RFC along Corridor X:

Villach (A) – Ljubljana (SLO) –

– Zagreb (HR) – Belgrade (SRB) – Niš (SRB) – Sofia (BG) – Svilengrad border (BG)

Graz (A) – Maribor (SLO) –



Routing of this new RFC



On the Part of the Railways• The railway infrastructure managers (IMs) between Austria and Bulgaria (ÖBB-

Infrastruktur AG, SŽ-Infrastruktura d.o.o., HŽ-Infrastruktura d.o.o., ŽS Železnice

Srbije JSC as well as NRIC [the Bulgarian National Railway IM]) decided to pool

their forces and to concentrate their energy on the creation of all prerequisites

for establishing a Rail-Freight-Corridor along Pan-European Corridor X within

the Association <Corridor X PLUS>.

• The Association <Corridor X PLUS> already started to adopt organizational RFC-

structures as it is common practice on other RFCs – such as the establishment of

an RFC-Coordination Group that is steered by SŽ-Infrastruktura d.o.o.

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• The stakeholders of our Corridor – such as railway undertakings, ports and terminals

– have shown huge interest in our intentions.

• We as <Corridor X PLUS> accept this call of our stakeholders and we will show

complete commitment to this challenge.

However, on the Part of the Ministries• Results have not been achieved yet among the Ministries in the concerned countries.

• No application (letter of intent) has been sent to the European Commission to

Brussels so far.

• A lot of lobbying still has to be done to attract sustainable support for the purpose of

establishing a Rail-Freight-Corridor along Corridor X.Attracting more Traffic to Corridor X



IV. Conclusions

Corridor X in order to become an Axis of Prosperity …

• … needs to keep pace with the developments on other important European Corridors

as it is an important link between Central and South-Eastern Europe as well as Asia

and – Corridor X – thus deserves the same attention as comparable transport axes in

Europe do.

• … may not be disregarded since it is the most important link between the Western

Balkan region and the rest of Europe. Neglecting Corridor X means to dry out the

whole Western Balkan region.

• … needs the full support of all of its stakeholders.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

For further information please visit our homepage

www.kx-plus.com

and don’t hesitate to contact us! 16Attracting more Traffic to Corridor X

http://www.kx-plus.com/

integration of pan-european corridor x to the network of rail freight corridors how to convert...

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