Baltic-Adriatic Corridor

The Baltic-Adriatic Corridor or Baltic-Adriatic Axis (German: Baltisch-Adriatische Achse) is a European initiative to build a high-speed railway network connecting the Baltic Sea with the Adriatic. Carrying 24 million tons of freight per year, the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor is considered among the most important trans-Alpine lines in Europe.[1] The line traverses Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Italy, connecting heavily industrialised areas such as Warsaw, Upper Silesia and Moravia, east and south-east Austria and northern Italy.

The goals of the initiative are to eliminate bottlenecks along the corridor, create intermodal linking of traffic flows and connect with other European main corridors, eliminate structural and geographical disadvantages for under-served areas (such as the southern Austrian provinces), increase the competitiveness of rail with roadway (truck) transport and to realize the market development potentials of passenger traffic along the corridor.

History

Following an initiative by the Austrian transportation ministry in 2006,[2] Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Italy signed a Letter of Intent to expand the Trans-European Transport Network TENT-T PP23 (railway) and TEN-T PP25 (road), in order to form the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor. 14 European countries signed a declaration calling for implementation of the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor between Gdańsk and Bologna in 2009.

Work began on the first phase of the 33-km long Koralm Tunnel in Austria, the largest infrastructure element of the line, at the end of 2008. It is expected to be operational by 2022.

On 19 October 2011 the Baltic Adriatic Corridor was extended by Rail Baltica to include a link between Warsaw and Kaunas, Riga, Tallinn and Helsinki.

In a discussion with Member of the European Parliament Debora Serrachiani on 24 April 2012, the Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Corrado Passera reaffirmed the Italian government's commitment to extend the Baltic-Adriatic Corridor as far as Ancona, 325 km south of Venice.[3]

Areas served

References

  1. ↑ http://www.baltic-adriatic.eu/en/baltic-adriatic-axis/corridor-1
  2. ↑ http://vbb.ktn.gv.at/210082_EN-Networks-The_Baltic_Adriatic_Axis
  3. ↑ http://www.serracchiani.eu/2012/04/26/baltico-adriatico6/