Informal document WP.5 (2017) No. 6 Distr.: General 23 August 2017 English only Economic Commission for Europe Inland Transport Committee Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics Thirtieth session Geneva, 4-6 September 2017 Item 7 (a) of the provisional agenda Euro-Asian Transport Links: Progress on Euro-Asian Transport Links work Draft Euro-Asian Transport Links Phase III Expert Group Report Note by the secretariat This document contains an advanced version* of the full report concluding the phase III of the Euro-Asia Transport Links Project. The text of this report is submitted to the Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics for consideration and possible endorsement. * This report, due to time constrains, has been submitted without editing by UNECE editors. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Draft 3 15 August 2017 EURO-ASIAN TRANSPORT LINKS Phase III Expert Group Report Geneva 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 5 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 7 PART I. EURO-ASIAN TRADE ROUTES AND FREIGHT FLOWS ....................................................................... 10 I.1. Economics and trade current situation in EATL Region .............................................................. 10 I.1.1. General overview ................................................................................................................ 10 I.1.2. East Asia .............................................................................................................................. 13 I.1.3. South Eastern Europe .......................................................................................................... 15 I.1.4. Commonwealth of Independent States member states ..................................................... 16 I.1.5 Conclusions.................................................................................................................................. 18 I.2. Euro-Asian trade flows and inland transport .............................................................................. 19 I.2.1. Main commodity groups ..................................................................................................... 19 I.2.2. Main trade partners ............................................................................................................ 24 I.3. Euro-Asian transport flows .......................................................................................................... 37 I.3.1. EATL transport flows general overview .............................................................................. 37 I.3.2. Liner shipping situation ....................................................................................................... 39 I.3.3. Railway transport ................................................................................................................ 44 I.3.4. Road transport .................................................................................................................... 83 I.3.5. Air transport ........................................................................................................................ 87 I.4. Transport Infrastructure of EATL routes development ............................................................... 92 I.4.1. Sea ports and their hinterland connections role in EATL corridors .................................... 92 I.4.2. Infrastructure of EATL railway routes ................................................................................. 96 I.4.3. Infrastructure of EATL road routes .................................................................................... 102 I.4.4. Air transport infrastructure ............................................................................................... 107 I.4.5. Logistic centres and dry ports in the EATL system ............................................................ 108 1.5. Comparative analysis of the duration and expenses of different modes of transport between Europe and Asia on selected Euro-Asian routes ................................................................................... 112 PART II. CURRENT INITIATIVES, PROJECTS AND STUDIES IN EATL REGION ............................................... 128 2 II.1. Overview of international studies, programmes and initiatives on Euro-Asian transport links development ......................................................................................................................................... 128 II.1.2. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ...................... 132 II.1.3. United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States ..................................... 134 II.1.4. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development .................................................. 135 II.1.5. United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia ........................... 135 II.1.6. European Union................................................................................................................. 136 II.1.7. Eurasian Economic Union .................................................................................................. 138 II.1.8. Silk Road Economic BELT Initiative .................................................................................... 139 II.1.9. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ..................................................... 141 II.1.10. Organization for Cooperation of Railways ............................................................................ 142 II.1.11. Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation .......................................................... 145 II.1.12.Trans-Caspian International Transport Initiative ................................................................... 146 II.1.13. Economic Cooperation Organization .................................................................................... 147 II.1.14. Organization for Democracy and Economic Development ................................................... 148 II.1.15. World Bank ............................................................................................................................ 149 II.1.16 Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program ......................................................... 150 II.1.17. Islamic Development Bank .................................................................................................... 152 II.1.18. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ......................................................... 153 II.1.19. International Road Transport Union ..................................................................................... 154 II.1.20. International Union of Railways ............................................................................................ 155 II.1.21. Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation ....................................................... 155 II.1.22. Global Partnership for Sustainable Transport ....................................................................... 156 II.2. Joint Initiatives and projects implemented by International organisations ............................. 157 II.3. Most important national level programmes and projects ........................................................ 158 PART III. MAIN OBSTACLES HAMPERING THE EURO-ASIAN TRANSPORT LINKS DEVELOPMENT ............. 165 III.1. General overview .......................................................................................................................... 165 III.2 Border crossings on EATL inland routes ......................................................................................... 165 3 III.2.1 Border crossing infrastructure .......................................................................................... 167 III.2.2 Border crossing processes and procedures ...................................................................... 167 III.3 Road transport ............................................................................................................................... 167 III.3 Rail transport .................................................................................................................................. 169 III.4 Intermodal transport ...................................................................................................................... 170 III.5 Public and private interests, cross-country cooperation ............................................................... 170 III.6. Conclusions.................................................................................................................................... 171 PART IV. EATL: LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE ............................................................................................. 172 PART V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................. 187 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................................. 194 ANNEXES ..................................................................................................................................................