B. Hlača, D. Rudić, S. Hirnig: Rail Transport - An Important Factor in The Port of Rijeka Development BOJAN HLAČA, Ph.D. Traffic Infrastrucure E-mail: [email protected] Review Port of Rijeka Authority Accepted: July 23, 2009 Riva 1, HR-51000 Rijeka, Republic of Croatia Approved: July 5, 2010 DUŠAN RUDIĆ, Ph.D. E-mail: [email protected] Polytechnic of Rijeka Trpimirova 2/V, HR-51000 Rijeka, Republic of Croatia SAŠA HIRNIG, B.Eng. E-mail: [email protected] Polytechnic of Rijeka Vukovarska 58, HR-51000 Rijeka, Republic of Croatia RAIL TRANSPORT - AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE PORT OF RIJEKA DEVELOPMENT ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION The economic situation and comparative advantages of The geographical position of the Adriatic Sea, the Port of Rijeka are no more than important preconditions which cuts deeply into Central Europe, with the Rijeka of its development and competitive ability. No adequate con- Port basin deep enough to accommodate the biggest nection of the Port of Rijeka to its catchment area is possible vessels, offers considerable possibilities and creates without a modern rail and road traffic. The researches and outstanding preconditions for traffic-economic assess- analyses of the port hinterland connection current state, the ment of a wider significance. results of which are provided in these documents, clearly It is its importance and the role in the traffic system indicate the need to upgrade the existing railway tracks and of the Republic of Croatia that make the Rijeka traf- build a new level Rijeka – Zagreb railway line. This line is fic route worthy of continual attention, research works a vital condition for ensuring both, a strong growth of the and analyses so that all necessary measures in terms port performances and its competitive ability vis-a-vis other of its adjustment to the new circumstances in its ei- neighbouring ports. The level railway line Rijeka – Zagreb ther closer or wider environment, can be undertaken with Rijeka railway junction adequately upgraded, should be on time. therefore regarded as strategic traffic project and conditio sine qua non for the future development of the Port of Rijeka. However, the competitive ability of a seaport de- However, no solution of the Rijeka railway junction problem pends not only on its geographical position but primar- will be possible without finding the right way for better con- ily on the cargo handling rate inside a port system, nection of some of the port terminals. When considering the where the promptness and capacity of shipments are integral solution of the rail traffic in the greater Rijeka Basin, particularly important. That is why the issues of mod- it is important to know that the access to individual port ter- ern solutions and construction of all the elements of minals, the connection with the railway in Istria through the the Rijeka road network are crucial for linking the port Učka Tunnel and connection with the port terminals on the terminals to the main rail and road routes towards Island of Krk are of great importance for the Port of Rijeka Central Europe and the Danube region. In this connec- future development. The efforts to recognize the problems in tion, there is no doubt that, when the good access of the port environment and define priorities that make the rail the port on the landside is in question, the rail traffic is transport a key factor of the Port of Rijeka’s future growth, irreplaceable and of top-priority. are the main contributions of this study. The Port of Rijeka is connected to its hinterland by two railway lines constructed in the 19th century, in KEY WORDS accordance with the then prevailing possibilities and standards. These are obviously not able to meet the Port of Rijeka, traffic connections, rail traffic, Rijeka railway actual traffic requirements. Moreover, as the existing junction, development guidelines rail infrastructure stands in the way of the port’s devel- Promet – Traffic&Transportation, Vol. 22, 2010, No. 5, 379-388 379 B. Hlača, D. Rudić, S. Hirnig: Rail Transport - An Important Factor in The Port of Rijeka Development opment, it is necessary to take all the corresponding biggest port, which is defined as a port of special eco- measures for its upgrading. nomic interest for the country. On the other hand, its Because of the expected increase in the rail traf- traffic significance is beyond dispute because the Port fic on this corridor, the direction towards Zagreb, that of Rijeka is the central point of all transportation and is, Central and Eastern Europe, poses itself as prior- cargo handling activities, not only for the north-west ity, with the construction of the level railway line being part of Croatia but the whole region. Rijeka is also the unquestionable. As to the improvement of the existing shortest and most economic route connecting Central infrastructure, it should serve as an interim solution Europe to the Mediterranean and other world regions. until the level railway line is put into exploitation. As to the integration of the Croatian internal traffic Taking a long-term view, there is a need for the Port system and its becoming part of the international traf- of Rijeka to establish connections with other North- fic network, with linking the Panonian and the Adriatic Adriatic ports but it will depend on various political regions, i.e. the Danube Basin and the Adriatic Sea, and economic factors. However, irrespective of the the role of the the Port of Rijeka is particularly impor- prospects of the Adriatic-Ionian railway, it is absolutely tant (via Karlovac to Zagreb, namely from Zagreb to necessary to establish a direct connection between Ri- Budapest across the Croatian Danube Basin) [2]. jeka and the rail network in Istria. It is also important The modern economic and logistics strategies and to build a railway to the Island of Krk, thus creating conceptions cannot function without fully developed a unique technical and technological system with all seaports, adequately equipped with modern installa- port basins linked together. tions and port facilities. Such ports represent strong In view of the above said, the ultimate objective of logistic points as well as logistic platforms which put this document is to make research and analysis of the traffic routes on the map and foster commodity flows most important factors that not only have a substan- through certain ports. tial impact on the present situation but also define the Modernization of port terminals in Rijeka, a mod- rail traffic development as an important factor of the ern railway junction, a modernized railway and modern Port of Rijeka development. roads will enable the transformation of the Port of Ri- jeka into a modern transport and logistical point in this 2. PORT OF RIJEKA – A FACTOR IN THE part of Europe. TRAFFIC AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA 3. GEOGRAPHICAL AND TRAFFIC It is the seaports that ensure easier access to CHARACTERISTICS OF THE the world market. The seaports are absolutely vital PORT OF RIJEKA for trade and business development as the most im- portant international traffic corridors and commodity Regarding its geographical position, the Republic flows pass through them dictating global trend of eco- of Croatia is located at the crossroads of two impor- nomic development. Today, the biggest seaports have tant trans-European routes, the first connecting West- therefore become the regulators of the international ern and Central Europe with Middle East and the other trade, determining its trend and structure [1]. Their going from the Baltic via Danube Basin to the Adriatic role in the international trade and economy is particu- Sea. Before Croatia became independent, the traffic larly important, since about three quarters of the in- flows were taking place, for the most part, between ternational commodity exchange (speaking in terms of the North-West and South-East Europe via so-called quantity) run by sea as the most suitable and in many Sava-valley corridor, connecting longitudinally West cases the only possible transport route. and East Europe to South-East Europe and the Middle The ports as part of the national transportation East, in which process the countries of what was then system do not belong to any particular branch of traffic the Eastern Europe were not substantially involved. but are rather collection points of goods transported The disintegration of the Eastern Block in 1991, when by various traffic routes and means of transportation. the former East-European countries became part of The role of modern seaports is particularly important Central Europe, paved the way in Croatia for the devel- for the general economic prosperity of a certain region. opment of the, up to then, neglected transversal traffic Namely, by stimulating economic growth and transport route connecting Central Europe to the Adriatic [3]. activities, the ports are a vital factor in defining the The connection of the Danube Basin with the Adri- entire traffic network in the port’s hinterland area and atic region is more than mere link between the two its catchment zone. Croatian regions – the Panonian and the Adriatic. In By recognizing such role of the ports, the legisla- fact, this route is a bridge between the Mediterranean tive regulation of the Republic of Croatia has also rec- and Central – Southeast Europe, which creates the ognized the importance of the Port of Rijeka as our conditions for Croatia to assume a mediating role with- 380 Promet – Traffic&Transportation, Vol. 22, 2010, No. 5, 379-388 B. Hlača, D. Rudić, S. Hirnig: Rail Transport - An Important Factor in The Port of Rijeka Development in the European limits, connecting the greater Panoni- of its competitors, i.e. the better equipped neighbour- an region with the Mediterranean.