Austria Shows Interest in Developing the Railroad Infrastructure to the Slovenian Port of Koper
Despite expansion projects, rail capacity remains limited compared to road. The seaport in Koper, Slovenia, which is important for Austria, is an example of current efforts in rail expansion, but at the same time shows the limits of rail-bound freight transport. With regard to Koper, Austrian experts emphasized the importance of an efficient rail connection for freight traffic.
A new study by Austrian business organizations proves the importance of rail links for consistent use of the Slovenian seaport of Koper. / Picture: © Wikipedia / Mrwho00tm
In the course of several projects to expand and modernize the rail infrastructure, capacity in rail freight transport remains limited compared with road transport. This makes it all the more important to make the best possible use of the existing potential. This was emphasized by the CEO of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Andreas Matthä, the President of the Federation of Austrian Industry (IV), Georg Knill, and the President of the Central Association of Freight Forwarding & Logistics, Alexander Friesz, on the occasion of the presentation of a study by the economic research institute Economica.
The Slovenian port of Koper plays a central role as one of the most important seaports for the Austrian economy. Due to its favorable location at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, close to the Suez Canal and in the middle of Central Europe, Koper is becoming increasingly attractive for companies from Bavaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. To increase the port's performance, massive investments have been made in recent years in handling capacities, logistics expertise, and road connections. Along with this, an efficient rail infrastructure both at home and abroad is of great importance.
Especially for a landlocked country like Austria, a well-designed connection of the seaports to the hinterland via rail is highly relevant. However, bottlenecks and limited capacities in the rail network are hampering the growth of rail traffic between Koper and Austria. While Slovenia will remove a bottleneck with the expansion of the line from Koper to Divača, there are nevertheless further challenges on the Slovenian side. In Austria, the Semmering Base Tunnel and the expansion of the Spielfeld-Straß - Werndorf line are particularly crucial for the port's hinterland connections.
ÖBB is also working internationally to reduce hurdles in cross-border rail freight transport to improve the plannability, reliability, and competitiveness of international rail freight transport. Currently, longer waiting times and capacity bottlenecks at borders lead to delays and restrictions.
According to Alexander Friesz, the Port of Koper clearly illustrates the mode-neutral approach of its industry. He emphasizes that it would be obvious to realize the onward transport of container ships utilizing container trains in most cases. However, this study clearly illustrates the limitations of rail transport. At the same time, the considerable expansion of passenger transport by rail is leading to an ever-decreasing capacity for freight transport by rail. The numerous personnel and locomotive changes due to different systems cause significantly longer transport times. In addition, the lower flexibility of rail compared to trucks and the increased electricity prices further complicate the situation with high costs.
Despite efforts to strengthen rail infrastructure, the road remains ahead in the modal split. Road freight is a major competitor for maritime combined transport in Koper due to lower capacity constraints. Rising electricity prices could also lead to a further shift in market share in favor of road transport.
In this complex situation, experts emphasize the need for a joint approach to make the best possible use of the existing potential. A capacity expansion of the Spielfeld-Straß station and ensuring market-conforming timetable paths for rail freight transport are mentioned as important measures. In addition, the study calls for increased political support for the double-track expansion of the line between Spielfeld-Straß and Maribor.
The study highlights the importance of an efficient rail infrastructure for freight traffic between the Port of Koper and Austria. To maintain and strengthen the competitiveness of the business location, further efforts and investments in rail connection are essential.