Temat: Europa - Azja: komunikacja, transport

Powstaną wielkie transazjatyckie szlaki kolejowe

IAR | 13.06.2009

Podróż koleją z Europy do Azji Południowo-Wschodniej przez Indie lub Chiny staje się coraz bardziej realna. Dwadzieścia osiem krajów podpisało porozumienie w sprawie budowy sieci kolei transazjatyckich łączących najdalsze zakątki Azji z Europą.
Projektowi patronuje Organizacja Narodów Zjednoczonych. Po podpisaniu porozumienia między innymi przez Indie, Chiny, Rosję, a także kraje Azji Centralnej oraz Południowo-Wschodniej wizja linii łączących Stary Kontynent z wieloma częściami Azji nabiera realniejszych kształtów.

Cały projekt zakłada wybudowanie lub unowocześnienie ponad stu czternastu tysięcy kilometrów linii kolejowych. Szlaki wiodłyby z Europy zarówno drogą północną - przez terytorium Federacji Rosyjskiej, Chin i Mongolii do Azji Południowo-Wschodniej, jak też drogą południową przez kraje Azji Centralnej do Indii i dalej do Tajlandii oraz na Półwysep Malajski.

Przy głównych szlakach tranzytowych miałyby powstać wielkie terminale towarowe. Znaczną część przewozów siecią kolei transazjatyckich stanowiłyby bowiem przewozy towarowe. Komentatorzy zauważają jednak, że w przypadku drogi południowej jej powstanie może zostać zakłócone niestabilną sytuacją na terenie Afganistanu oraz Pakistanu.

http://finanse.wp.pl/kat,104114,title,Postana-wielkie-...

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Interview: UN official Sees Promising Prospect of Trans-Asian Railway Network

2009-06-12 Xinhua Web Editor: Tian Tian

Chief of UN Asia-Pacific regional arm Dr. Noeleen Heyzer said Thursday the Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans-Asian Railway Network, with China being an important party, will play a significant role in boosting intra- regional trade.

"The agreement is a framework for coordinating the approach for railway development in Asia-Pacific region. It links basically the hinterland of Asia to the coastal area of development," said the executive secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in an interview with Xinhua at the ESCAP headquarters on Thursday, right after a ceremony marking the agreement coming into force.

Dr. Heyzer, who is also the UN Under-Secretary-General, said that she thinks that currently it is extremely difficult for Asia to trade within itself, citing it lacks the infrastructure development as well as connectivity across borders to facilitate trade. "In fact, if you look at the exports, Asia is more integrated with the rest of the world than with itself. Only 37 percent of all the exports of Asia is done within the Asian region. "

However, she said that this trans-Asian railway network, together with the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network which entered into force in July 2005, also under the auspices of ESCAP, is helping to increase the connectivity and intermodal transport, which in turn will allow the transfer of goods and services across border.

The mega-network, linking the landlocked countries, the least developed countries, with the more prosperous coastal areas, is " the tremendous way of connectivity that will increase transportation within Asia for trade as well as for shared prosperity," said Dr. Heyzer, adding that railway is also energy efficient, using only one half energy compared with road transportation.

The states that have ratified the agreement are Cambodia, China, India, Mongolia, South Korea, Russia, Tajikistan and Thailand. The agreement was opened for signature during the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Transport at Busan of South Korea in November 2006, almost half a century after the idea of a regional railway network was first raised in 1960s. It has now been signed by 22 countries.

Asked the challenges of the huge project, Dr. Heyzer admitted that the 114,000-km-railway network that links 28 countries throughout the region still has 8,300 km of so-called "the missed link" to complete, with an estimated cost of 25 billion U.S. dollars.

She, however, remains optimistic about the funding. "Each of the countries that has signed the agreement and ratified it will be making investment (on railway)," she said, citing China as an example.

"China is currently the world's largest investor in railway development. I know that China has agreed to invest something like 88 billion U.S. dollars per year from 2010 to 2012," she said.

Talking about China, the ESCAP executive secretary apparently has a lot to say. "It is the largest country in the world that has been focusing on the railway development. What it will do will open up new possibilities for its neighboring countries."

Many of the goods from the landlocked countries will be looking to China as a "transit country", she said, mentioning an interesting fact that out of the 20 highly developed ports of the world, the majority of 12 are in China.

"China will be the gateway to allow the landlocked countries to trade with the rest of the world. what it will be contributing to will be the share prosperity in the Asian region," Dr. Heyzer said.

She also sees China a new-technology lover, such as the adoption of high-speed train, and she hopes much of these new technologies be shared with other members of this railway network.

So China will play a big role in the network "in terms of investment, its functioning as a transit country, the new technologies, and also its being a big market itself", she said.

At the end of the exclusive interview, the ESCAP executive secretary shows optimism on the timeline of the huge scheme.

"With the priorities having been set -- to try to raise the sources to deal with the missing link, to upgrade the existing tracks and systems so that they will be up to international standards, to basically look at some of the cross-border facilitation, to develop the 'dry ports' (railway stations in landlocked countries and areas identified as locations of international importance with respect to trade), it's a long-term development, but there will be phases. we hope some of the phases will be able to take place in the next five years, at least the first half (phases)," Dr. Heyzer said.

http://english.cri.cn/6966/2009/06/12/1321s492565.htm

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UN-backed trans-Asian rail agreement goes into effect

11 June 2009 – A railroad agreement aimed at linking 28 countries in Asia and Europe went into effect today, the United Nations announced in Bangkok.

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network became operative 90 days after China became the eighth country to have ratified it. The other parties to the agreement – developed with UN assistance – are Cambodia, India, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Thailand.

The network comprises 114,000 kilometres of rail routes linking 28 countries in the region. The aim is to offer efficient rail transport services for the movement of goods and passengers within the region and between Asia and Europe, ESCAP said.

The network will also provide improved access for landlocked countries to major ports, ESCAP said.

Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, told an inaugural ceremony in ESCAP’s Bangkok headquarters, “Modern economies cannot generate long-term growth and employment without highly efficient transport networks that are developed with a high level of integration.

“The timing of this agreement is particularly significant as leaders from our region promote intra-regional trade to stimulate recovery from the economic crisis. It will provide a more cost effective way of doing business and ensure the benefits of trade are more evenly distributed across the region,” Ms. Heyzer said.

“Countries worldwide are now realizing that rising demand for transport services can no longer be met by roads alone,” said Ms. Heyzer. “The recent fluctuation in the oil price, growing concern over energy-dependency and the environmental impact of the transport industry are pushing policy-makers to promote more environmentally-friendly and sustainable rail transport solutions.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=31101&Cr=...

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Google News

Accord on trans-Asian rail network comes into force

Hindu - ‎Jun 12, 2009‎
NEW DELHI: India and 27 other countries have signed an agreement linking their railroad systems in Asia and Europe, according to the United Nations ...
Trans Asian Railway connecting the entire of Asia closer to be ...

Channel News Asia - ‎Jun 12, 2009‎
By Channel NewsAsia's Anasuya Sanyal | Posted: 13 June 2009 0014 hrs BANGKOK: The dream of connecting the entire continent of Asia by rail is one step ...
Trans-Asian Railway Would Improve Transport, Integration in 28 ...

Voice of America - ‎Jun 11, 2009‎
By Daniel Schearf Asian nations have agreed to form a network of railroads that aims to connect 28 countries in the region to each other and Europe. ...

Agreement On Asia's Rail Network Comes Into Force
Bernama - ‎Jun 11, 2009‎
BANGKOK, June 11 (Bernama) -- Countries throughout Asia are committed to coordinate the development and operation of an international rail route linking 28 ...

Interview: UN official Sees Promising Prospect of Trans-Asian ...
CRIENGLISH.com - ‎Jun 11, 2009‎
Chief of UN Asia-Pacific regional arm Dr. Noeleen Heyzer said Thursday the Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans-Asian Railway Network, with China being an ...

UN-backed trans-Asian rail agreement goes into effect
UN News Centre - ‎Jun 11, 2009‎
11 June 2009 – A railroad agreement aimed at linking 28 countries in Asia and Europe went into effect today, the United Nations announced in Bangkok. ...

Trans-Asian Railway network linking 28 countries enters into force
Thai News Agency MCOT - ‎Jun 11, 2009‎
BANGKOK, June 11 (TNA) – The Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network (TAR) came into force on Thursday, allowing countries throughout ...

Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement comes into force
Railway Gazette International - ‎Jun 11, 2009‎
ASIA: A ceremony in Bangkok on June 11 marked the entry into force of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network. ...

New rail accord effective today to link Cambodia to the region
Phnom Penh Post - ‎Jun 11, 2009‎
THE Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) Network, which aims to link the railway systems of 28 countries in Asia and Europe, ...

http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&cf=all&ncl=dDA3e...Marcin Nowak edytował(a) ten post dnia 14.06.09 o godzinie 13:17