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6th Intermodal Road Map completed for Croatia

2014/04/30

As a results of the Round table on 27.03.2014 and further stakeholder consultation the 6th Intermodal Road Map of the COSMOS project covering Croatia has been elaborated within the time frame of the COSMOS project.

The Road Map on Intermodal Transport in Croatia can be downloaded here.

The Round Table convened high-level representatives of the Croatian inter-modal industry and international stakeholders who discussed recent achievements and future prospects of intermodal transport in Croatia. They achieved a consent about the challenges that need to be faced for further growth and relevant measures that will be necessary to foster the increase of intermodal rail services.

  • The Croatian transport sector provides for various forms of logistics concepts including CT-Operators for rail/road transport.
  • Although the rail legislation would allow for HZ Cargo is the only railway undertaking in Croatia.
  • After the fall of the iron curtain, and during the „accession period“ quick wins could be realised by road transport which was often more flexible, open to entrepreneurship and promoted by truck industry.
  • In contrast to that the rail sector lacks coherent infrastructure investments, both in maintenance, refurbishment and new builds while improved roads can be used on sections, already
  • Due to the accession only in 2013, Croatia is not part of the Rail Freight Corridors (Regulation EU 913/2010), but should be able to benefit from the Trans-European Transport network and the financing via the Connection Europe Facility (regulation EU 1315/2013 and 1316/2013) to continue modernisation of railways.
  • Accompanied intermodal transport (RoLa) in transit and only until 2006 the Hungarian and Romanian accession to EU.
  • Intermodal market dominated by container traffic from the seaport and three mayor trade partners: Serbia, Hungaria and Slovenia
  • Growth of intermodal transport is directly depending on the country‘s ability to efficiently organise transit (like in Switzerland or Austria)
  • And create opportunities depending on own economic performance, e.g. to/from Port of Rijeka, economic center of Zagreb
  • Semi-trailers became standard equipment in international road transport and thus intermodal operation where the Croatian infrastructure provides for sufficient high loading profiles
  • Intermodal terminals, generally, provide for sufficient handling capacity for the currently (low) handling volumes.
  • Training of personal engaged with transport decisions on the merits of intermodal transport would be required.
  • An intermodal strategy is needed at country level to guide public and private investment. Round table participants would appreciate to joining into a structured dialogue with political stakeholders;
  • The strategy should investigate (re-)activating incentive scheme in favour of intermodal transport.

The meeting was moderated by COSMOS project manager Uwe Sondermann (KombiConsult, Frankfurt am Main) who concluded the following results which were agreed upon with invited participants:

The Zagreb event was the last in a series of in total six Round Table meetings which have been organised within the COSMOS project for Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia since April 2013.
Responsible:
Klaus-Uwe Sondermann, KombiConsult GmbH
Phone +49.69.244 32 93 – 172, Fax +49.69.244 32 93 - 179
E-Mail usondermann@kombiconsult.com, Web www.kombiconsult.com