11th South East European Freight Forwarders and
Logistics Providers Congress :
“SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN INTERMODALITY”
Axes, nodes and transport modes
in the South East Europe area
Aristotelis Naniopoulos
Professor AUTh, Transport Systems Research Group
16-17 May, 2013
Athens, Greece
The ADB Project in brief (1/2)
 Title: Adriatic – Danube – Black Sea Multimodal platform.
 ADB Multiplatform is funded via SEE Programme
 Duration: 30 months (4 / 2012 - 9 / 2014)
 Objective: Develop and promote environmentally friendly,
multimodal transport solutions from the ports in the SEE
programme area (Black Sea, Aegean, Adriatic) to inland countries
and regions along a selected pilot transnational network. This will be
done by developing and establishing a “multimodal transport
development platform”, which integrates different regions and
stakeholders from the transport business
 Partnership: 41 partners
The ADB Project in brief (2/2)
N Number of partners
Countries of Participating partners
ERDF: European Regional Development Fund
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES: 13
 8 EU countries (Austria, Bulgaria,
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia)
 5 Non EU countries (Albania,
Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia,
Ukraine)
PROJECT PARTNERS: 41
15 ERDF partners, 7 IPA partners,
16 ASP, 3 Observers
Mixture of Stakeholders:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Public Authorities
Business Associations
Freight operators
Transport Agencies
Research bodies
1
1
2
3
2
9
2
5
2
2
5
3
3
Main ADB Project’s Objectives
 developing a network of multimodal hubs in SEE area, with common quality
and performance standards

developing accessibility and trade within SEE area and corridors addressed
 making multimodal transport a real alternative to road for hinterland traffic
catchable by Adriatic/Aegean/Black Sea Ports

making rail a reliable solution for economic operators of SEE area

enhancement of main rail-river hubs and promotion of rail-water intermodality

protecting environment of SEE area
The ADB Project Work plan

WP1 - Transnational project and financial management

WP2 - Communication activities

WP3 - Nodes and infrastructure in Adriatic-Danube-Black Sea area

WP4 - The ICT backbone of ADB Multimodal Platform

WP5 - Multimodal Development Centres (MDC)

WP6 - ADB and Green Transport

WP7 - Pilot project implementation
Why ADB ?
Main Intermodal Challenges and opportunities for SEE area
SERVING DEMAND FROM-TO
1. Serving demand from-to Far
East
• An alternative to:
 The route via Suez and Gibraltar
 The route via North Sea (NSR)
2. Serving demand from-to Russia
MAIN REMARKS
• The area should prove in practice that it is a viable
and reliable alternative.
• Interoperability and Coordination among networks
is required
• Environmental benefits in global terms should be
documented and emphasized
• Piracy problems (e.g. Malacce straits, Somalia)
should be faced
• Important potential export area for SEE products
3. Serving demand from to Turkey
and its greater area (Iran, Iraq,
Central Asia)
• Reactivation of the “old silk road”
4. Serving demand from-to Central
Europe
• This demand is already served to a certain way.
• Possibilities for great improvements
• Increased competitiveness of SEE products in CE
markets
• Important for Regions Cohesion and Coherence
5. Serving intra-regional demand
Serving demand from-to Far East
An alternative to the route via Suez Canal
and Gilbratar
An alternative to the route via
North Sea (NSR)
7.300 nautical miles
20 days
NSR itinerary
Indian Ocean
itinerary
Source: www.ria.ru
11.200 nautical miles
33 days
Route characteristics from to Far East
Route
Suez Canal - Gibraltar
Nautical miles
11.200
Time (duration
of the route)
Other comments
33 days
Piracy problems
North Sea
7.300
20 days
Icebreaker guidance required, Weather
conditions, Environment, Crews have to
be trained for operations in the Arctic
Suez Canal - SEE
Varies *
20 – 22 **
Piracy, Low reliability
* Time and distance depends on the following:
• Port
• Transport mode: by rail or by road
• Efficiency and performance of terminals
** Example: It is estimated that via Port of Piraeus the time of freight transport to Central
Europe (Czech Republic) will be reduced by approximately 8 days compared to the route via
Gibraltar.
In order to compete the alternative routes SEE must become attractive in
terms of the parameters that affect the total time, the total cost, the safety
and security the environment.
4 ADB Pilot Routes serving
main Demand poles

1st route:
Aegean and Black Sea to landlocked
countries (Greece to Bulgaria/Romania)
“Corridors Χ, IV and IX”.

2nd route:
Northern Adriatic to landlocked countries
(Austria/Slovakia/Hungary/Serbia "Corridor
V”), including the complementary links to
Eastern and Western markets.
3rd route:

Inter Adriatic “Corridor VIII” and connection
of regional and local ICT systems

4th route:
Danube River from Slovakia to the Black Sea
“Corridor VII”.
Pan-European Corridors (PECs) in ADB area
Current situation and Available Forecast
Road Network
• Biggest share of transport flows concentrated on the PECs IV, V and
X (less on PECs VIII and IX).
• Saturation problems appear only around major cities (Salzburg –
Innsbruck, Milan, Bucharest and Sofia).
Rail Network
• Biggest share of transport flows concentrated on the PECs IV, V and X
• Saturation problems:
- on the Austrian network
- in Slovakia (Bratislava – Gyor)
- southwest of Ljubljana on PEC V
- on PEC IV (mainly Plovdiv - Haskovo) in Bulgaria
Available Forecasts: The EUN STAT (2005), regarding the SEE region,
concluded that in year 2020 the freight traffic flows will be concentrated
• on the road corridors between Turkey – Bulgaria – Western Balkans –
Germany/ Northern Italy and Bulgaria – Romania – Russia
• on the railway corridor between Bulgaria – Romania – Ukraine and Russia
Available Forecast: SEETAC (2020 & 2030)
Volume over
Capacity ratio
on SEETAC
study Rail
network –
Future situation
(2020 left –
2030 right)
Volume over
Capacity ratio
on SEETAC
study Road
network –
Future situation
(2020 left –
2030 right)
Source: SEETAC: South East European Transport Axis Cooperation,2009-2012,Database on existing physical and operational characteristics/ Forecasts for 2020-2030
Available Forecast: EURO-MED (2025)
Year 2000
Year 2025 (medium economic growth)
Source: EuroMed Transport Project that aims at improving transport connections between the Euro-Mediterranean Region, leading to economic and social
development, and securing safe transport systems,2003-2009
• Traffic volumes between the EU and the neighbouring countries are expected
to grow by 100% between 2000 and 2020.
Concluding Remarks and Challenges

(a) Competition will shape its own intermodal routes
…..but we need cooperation to make our area efficient, effective, attractive
and promote Development for its citizens….

(b) ADB project provides a unique platform bringing together Authorities
and decision makers influencing officials, who may push required changes
and face problems on Regional level.

(c) Forecasts rarely meet reality
SEE area cooperating, step by step, may shape its future market appropriately
and make it happen.

(d) SE area should face problems and minimise bottlenecks not for
merely serving transhipment but also for utilising multiple
opportunities particularly in develiping value added activities.

(e) SE area should consider internalising externalities, in a way that
competition is not distructed, but also citizens and societies will not
solely bear that costs.
Thank you for your attention!
Transport Systems Research Group/AUTh,
Contact:
naniopou@civil.auth.gr
www.tsrg.gr
ARISTOTLE
UNIVERSITY OF
THESSALONIKI
TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
RESEARCH
GROUP