Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia increase the share of intermodal transport

According to project representatives, subject to the identified investments in the transport network and its coordination, it is possible in the region to meet the EU White Paper of Transport's assumption of a transfer by 2030 of 30% of freight transport at distances greater than 300 km from land roads to water transport or rail.

The Silesian and Opole provinces, as well as the Czech Moravian-Silesian Country and the Žilińsk Country in Slovakia have been working together for over seven years as part of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) called Tritia. Together they carry out projects in air quality (Air Tritia) and transport (Trans Tritia).

The Trans Tritia project implemented since 2017 assumes improved planning and coordination of freight transport across the border of three countries. The aim was to create assumptions for the development of freight transport in all forms – with the use of road and rail networks, as well as water and air transport.

The project, led by the Upper Silesian Agency for Entrepreneurship and Development, and partners, among others, universities, local governments and business support institutions from three countries, prepared analyses and studies. They are intended to help coordinate infrastructure and organisational projects throughout the border regions.

As noted during the Thursday press conference summarizing the project, its manager, Aleksandra Krawuck, the project partners, in relation to the objectives of the EU White Paper on Transport, took as the main thought that by 2030 transport at a distance of more than 300 km should be transferred to the railways and waterways of 30%, for today's flows of goods.

Prof. Katarzyna Dohn from the Silesian University of Technology indicated that on the basis of analysis of national and regional strategic documents, internal and external environment and guidelines from the developed transport model, among others, a strategy for the development of multimodal transport in the region was created and infrastructure and organisational solutions were identified.

On the basis of these assumptions, action plans were drawn up to eliminate bottlenecks identified, among others, in cable infrastructure and at border crossing points. These include strengthening existing infrastructure and building new ones. Prof. Lilla Knop from the Silesian University of Technology explained that 67 infrastructure projects and three organizational projects were marked – related to the establishment of an observatory, a multimodal transport coordinator for areas and centres of competence.

Prof. Pavel Santarius of VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava stressed that the road network in the territory of Tritia is currently in good condition and there are no major problems for the development of road transport. ‘In order to be able to move this transport to waterways, they must exist. The Odzańska Waterway is in a sense a navigating road to Kędzierzyn-Koźla, or to Gliwice, where modernizations are going" - Santarius reminded.

"We presented further possibilities towards the Czech Republic and the founding of the Polish side of the construction of the Silesian Canal, which would combine Oder and Vistula. In the plan, we presented what constructions and how long it is necessary to complete and try on the necessary amounts" - he pointed out.

With regard to the railway network, the state of which, like roads, has been positively assessed, the possibility of transferring goods from trucks to trains and the corresponding prospects for its capacity and the investments needed. "In this whole connection, transhipment centres should be established," added the scientist, pointing out that it is both the development of existing infrastructure and the creation of a new, linked to planned waterways.

Prof. Dohn pointed out that all the analyses and provisions contained in the strategy and action plans were intended to meet the requirements of the 2030 Transport White Paper. "Concrete values will depend to a large extent on the acquisition of financial resources for infrastructure projects (...) and coordination of activities interested in the development of intermodal transport", the expert stated.

Krawucka added that simulations carried out in the framework of the creation of a transport model confirmed that it is possible to implement the Guidelines of the White Paper for 2030 in the Tritia area using the indications and implementation of the project's tasks.

The partners of the Trans Tritia project, in addition to the GAPR coordinating it, are the Association for the Development of the Moravian-Silesian Country from Ostrava and the Dopravni Projektovani company from the Czech side and the University of Žilina and Výskumný ústav dopravný (VÚD) company from the Slovak side. The budget of the project, provided by the European Regional Development Fund, exceeded EUR 1 million.

Source: PAP