A new multimodal route Turkey-Ukraine-Poland is in the pipeline. On 24 December, the Ukrainian Railway Transport Service Center “Liski” signed a memorandum of cooperation with Ukrferry and FerriPlus to establish this route. It will open up a new alternative gateway to Europe for rail traffic from Asia.

Turkey has been part of the multimodal transport route for a longer time, being part of the Middle Corridor. So far, cargo was mostly carried into Europe via the Baku-Tblisi-Kars railway line. The option of loading cargo on a vessel across the Black Sea has long been anticipated, as it would provide a faster link to the northern countries in Europe.

The memorandum of cooperation shows the interest of the parties to create container and trailer traffic on the specified route, writes Edvīns Bērziņš, the new executive director of the Ukrainian Railway Transport Service Center “Liski” on social media. “The memorandum is open for signing by any company that wants to participate in the development and operation of the route”, he adds.

Europe-China traffic

Ukraine is pursuing a more active role in the transportation of goods between Europe and China. Negotiations are ongoing with companies such as DHL, PKP Cargo Connect and BTLC Germany,
for the establishment of a regular route along the corridor.

Together with PKP Cargo Connect, Liski plans to transport goods between Ukraine and Poland for further transportation to Europe. With BTLC Germany, it will expand direct container transport routes from Europe to China and back. Cooperation with DHL will allow organising the transportation of goods in Ukraine, with a turnkey service at the terminals of the Liski CFTS branch, the Urkainian company explains.

Black Sea to Baltic

The Port of Gdansk and the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority agreed in December to collaborate on a new transport corridor connecting the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. The focus will lie mainly on the transportation of cargo by rail, in a route that will include the port of Gdansk, Warsaw, Doronhursk or Medyka and will end up in Ukrainian ports of the Black Sea, primarily Odessa.

Also read:

• Poland-Ukraine set up ‘Black Sea to Baltic’ intermodal corridor
• Poland-Ukraine set up ‘Black Sea to Baltic’ intermodal corridor