The role of Ten-T transport corridors in the system of Baltic region transport infrastructure

Abstract

The development of Lithuanian transport system and its integration into the EU transport system is directly connected with the development of TEN-T transport corridors. This integration is highlighted by one serious problem – an inadequate technical level of the separate links of TEN-T transport infrastructure. In order to promote Lithuania role as a logistics services provider and transit country it is necessary to complete the sections of the TEN-T network, i.e. the transport corridors I, IXB, IXD, identify and remove their bottle necks, as well as missing links. As the bigger part of the freight transport consists of the transportation via railways in the international transport corridors, it is vitally important to contribute to the conceptualization and implementation of the European Green corridor concept. In strategic level the Green corridor, based on green infrastructure, is supposed to promote the place-grounded approaches to conserve, protect, restore, and manage the local and the regional networks of natural living, apply the efficient use of environmental resources, as well as provide with amenities corresponding to sustainability. Currently, Lithuania is a part of the East-West transport corridor (EWTC) project: the route from Denmark in the west along Sweden south coast and across the Baltic Sea to the Baltic countries, onward towards Belarus and eventually perhaps via the Trans-Siberian Railway to China. The EWTC in the middle term perspective [10] aims to realize a green corridor concept in practice: promote innovations, new technologies, business models and transportation management systems.