This summer, transport authorities, railway companies and port administrations part of TRACECA have held a series of meetings focused on the project of the “Silk Wind” railway corridor and EU technical assistance for the implementation of the project Logistic Processes and Motorways of the Sea II’ (LOGMOS).
Silk Wind container block train and the optimization of RO-RO operations in the Caspian Sea region are services which can meet logistic chain demands and will form solid economic corridors between Asia and Europe. In the context of prevailing development of container traffic in the region and real necessity for redirection of some container cargo flows to the TRACECA transport corridor, the “Silk Wind” project is aimed to create the favourable conditions for a container block train route with advanced electronic exchange of information, simplification of customs and border-crossing procedures, reduction of transit time and travel time.
The authorities concluded by granting support for the development of the project which will have a significant role in increasing the economy in the region by optimising intercontinental commercial exchange. Therefore, the “Memorandum of the principles of Joint Activity on Development of Transport Networks and Organization of Cargo Transportation” was elaborated, a project which will promote creation and forwarding of multimodal block-train route within “SILK WIND” project. The agreement on the initiation of the project is expected to be signed in 2013. The main problems TRACECA is confronted with are legislative harmonisation and simplification of customs procedures in order to create a coordinated transport and implement charging policies. Member countries are developing a series of activities aimed to identify joint solutions.
Since the implementation of TRACECA programme (1993) up to 2012, 80 projects have been financed with a total value of EUR 168.5 Million, a project of more than 40% of the budget being allocated through legal harmonisation, the limitation of customs procedures and transport infrastructure development.
Authorities will continue to implement the development programme up to 2015. Its strategic framework proposed relies on several principles which can direct and guide the transport system transformation process in TRACECA region from division to integration. Meanwhile, the countries will have to align their legislation to match the established agreements and conventions.
The main objectives of this strategy consist in ensuring transport security and reliability, as well as infrastructure deve-lopment.
Apart from this strategy, member countries will soon have to elaborate a deve-lopment plan for 2025.
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