While Lithuania is becoming stronger in the EU economic space, the development of the transportation system becomes an important factor which enforces improvement of the economy and assuring that cargo transportation is convenient, while Lithuanian companies grow more competent. Globalization raises the requirements of timeliness and flexibility for the transportation system, while interregional collaboration becomes increasingly more important.

Taking market demands into consideration, the Baltic Sea states started developing a mutual region’s economical and ecological strategy, in which the East-West transport corridor is a project of top priority. Territory planning institutions, universities, ports and transport companies from Belarus, Denmark, Lithuania, Russia, Sweden, and Germany are all collaborating in the formation of this corridor.

Lithuanian institutions are particularly active in the execution of this project. A founding conference for the East-West transport corridor association was held on June 29-30 in Vilnius. The formed association will seek that transport and logistics companies, combined transport terminals’ operators, free cargo senders and receivers, government and science institutions will collaborate together more actively. It will also encourage dialogue between the corridor states and other regions of the world.

The “green” corridor and integration of combined transport

The East-West transport corridor will connect the transport centers of southern Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Lithuania with the transport systems of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and Asia. The purpose of it is to form a competitive global transport service and logistics chain in Lithuania which would be able to serve East-West trade routes by maximizing the benefits of different transport means and their effective interaction – combined transport.

A lot of attention will be paid for the foundation of combined transport spots – complex sea and land logistics centers in the transport corridor. The plans are to develop an infrastructure for different transportation means, as well as integrating modern information technologies into the process.

During the recent years, the EU transport policy clearly showed a tendency to establish a net of “green” transport corridors, so by executing the East-West transport corridor project, an innovative “green” corridor environment will be developed. Priority will be given to more environment-friendly means of transportation, such as railroad and sea transport, and their interaction with other types of transport.