ODESA, OCTOBER 3rd, 2013, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE ¬― Turkey plans to join the combined transport train “Viking”, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

The press service of the State Railway Administration Ukrzaliznytsia reported today, 3 October.

“A memorandum of understanding was signed between Ukrzaliznytsia and the General Directorate of State Railways of the Republic or Turkey 25 September, 2013, in the city of Ankara (Turkey). The document is about development of cargo transportation within the frames of creation of the transport corridor “Baltic Sea-Black Sea” with the use of services of the combined transport train Viking,” a statement reads.

The press service informed that according to the document, railway administrations of Ukraine and Turkey undertook to carry out work for attraction of additional volumes of cargo transportation by the combined transport train Viking. The parties also expressed intention to expand geography of cargo transportation by the Viking train in the regions of the Baltic and Black Seas, by urging and promoting joining of the project by new member countries and to promote creation of competitive conditions for cargo transportation between the Baltic and Black Seas.

Railway administrations agreed on cooperation on attraction of sea transport operators on the Black and Azov Seas for the increase of the number of containers, transported by the Viking train, at ports in the Black Sea region.

INFORMATION: The combined transport train Viking connects the Baltic and Black Sea ports. February 6, 2013, 10 years passed since the beginning of this train movement. Now, the partners of the project are Ukrzaliznytsia, Belarusian Railway, JSC Lithuanian Railways and Bulgarian State Railways and SE Railway of Moldova.

Over 10 years, Ukrainian railways have transported over 55,000 TEU by the Viking train, at the same time about 14,000 TEU was transported in 2012.