It will be “hot” at the Hungarian border

Hungary will increase railway transportation from China via Ukraine.

The Hungarian government and the Hungarian State Railways are interested in the growth of the volume of rail transport from China through the station Zahony at the border with Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, this was announced at an international logistics conference in the Hungarian city Velence by the Assistant Secretary of State for Transport of the Ministry of National Development of Hungary Zoltan Schwab.

"In the years 2013-2014 the possibility of a substantial increase in rail freight through the station Zahony will open. This will be aided by the formation of the rail corridor from China with the participation of Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and China," – said Zoltan Schwab.

In Hungary, East-West transit and export-import is carried out only through Zahony transshipment area on the border with Ukraine, as it is here where goods and raw materials are transferred from wide (1520 mm) to narrow (1435 mm) gauge.

In recent years, they have created the necessary logistics infrastructure for the growth of goods traffic from Asia to the EU and the Balkans through the station Zahony. Near the Ukrainian border they have reconstructed 150 km of broad railway bed, which stretches form the Ukrainian stations Chop and Batovo, built a logistics park and an extensive road network that connects the railway station with logistics parks and warehouses.

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, 16 million tons of goods and materials were transported through the station Zahony every year, in 2011 – only 3.6 million tons.

Currently, 49% of cross-border transportation between the European Union and the countries of the former USSR are carried out through Poland, 21% – through Slovakia, 25% – through Hungary.

Source: Ukrinform