ODESA, MAY 31st, 2011, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Plaske Vice President

Ivan Liptuga says Viking is not cruising regularly due to lack of cargo volumes, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

Vice president of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), Vice-President of JSC Plaske Ivan Liptuga announced it today 31 May, during the conference Cargo Transportation between Europe and Asia with the Use of Transport Corridors in the Black Sea region.

«There has been permanent growth as far as the Viking train is concerned over the recent years. At the moment there is certain slowdown in traffic. But the administration of the railways of Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine are working hard to attract freight traffic.

Train Viking is a promising project, which is now joined by other countries and railways, including the Polish Railways. Our main goal is to connect the countries of Northern Europe and Turkey in both directions. Railways are not a competitor to the sea transport, and also the Viking is not a direct competitor to road transport, although nearly a million trucks a year comes from Turkey, which causes traffic difficulties on the roads. And the train Viking may slightly improve this situation.

The train runs, mostly between Minsk and Klaipeda. The route is designed to Illichivsk, but unfortunately, due to lack of sufficient quantities, it is not regular”, said Mr Liptuga.

INFORMATION: The combined train Viking is a joint project of Lithuanian, Belarusian and Ukrainian railways, seaport cargo companies, and Klaipėda, Illichivsk and Odesa seaports. The train carries 20 and 40-foot containers as well as semitrailers and trailer-trains (contrailers). They are sent to Klaipėda port by sea transport from Scandinavia and Western Europe as well as via Mukran—Klaipėda ferry-line, and then carry on to Ukraine, Belarus, the near east, and Caucasus via Illichivsk and Odesa sea ports.