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Rail
and road transports in the Northern Europe and the southern
part of the Nordic Countries are presently severely inhibited
by congestion, causing traffic infarcts, high pollution, slow
transport speeds and a threat to economic competitiveness.
These problems are becoming more severe with the increasing
traffic load. NECL can provide an interesting viable
alternative traffic corridor from Russia to UK/Continent
through the Mid-Nordic Countries reducing some of the problems
described above.
In
order to make the corridor fully operable, a certain numbers
of measures have to be taken. The existing means of transport
in the Corridor are characterised by an unbalanced rail
infrastructure and the limitations in interoperability between
the separate countries national rail systems. The largest
missing links are a lack of close connections between sea and
rail and effective intermodal nodes. The different National
Transport Policies often neglect the need for improved
East-West transport links over the borders. The absence of a
Mid-Nordic perspective in the countries national transport
policies motivates cooperation between local, regional and
national partners in the Mid-Nordic Region. Improvement in
cross border procedures is also necessary.
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To
study and create alternative transport solutions that reorient
the mental map to include an East-West perspective in the
Mid-Nordic Region. To co-ordinate and promote effective and
environmentally friendly solutions for intermodal transport
through the region, thus reducing the incidences of restricted
access. To influence the policy makers in the respective
country with the aim to make an impact on the public
institutions long-term infrastructure investment plans, to
remove identified bottlenecks and limits in the transport
chain. To promote the establishment of meeting places, portals,
networks and other measures in order to create platforms for
transnational cluster in the area of intermodal transport. To
create scheduled transport flows giving speedier transit times,
and thus cost benefits, compared with today’s transport
pattern.
The
project is aiming to create a portal for freight and business
on the Internet in order to facilitate ordering of transport
services, promoting trade in the Mid-Nordic area and guiding
business to emerging and interesting markets in Russia and
Europe, and to initiate market and goods flow studies in order
to identify potential cargo-flow and business opportunities.
The aim is to emphasize the transnational synergy effects to
be derived when the separate parties and nodes can work
together in functioning networks. To identify systems that
govern transport costs, taxes and fees. To suggest measures
and changes of the frameworks to stimulate sustainable
intermodal transport solutions according to the EU new
transport policy. To improve employment and equal
opportunities and to provide better transport services for the
small and medium sized companies in the region, thus
stimulating socioeconomic development along the corridor as a
whole.
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A
fully developed sustainable strategy for Intermodality in the
Mid-Nordic Corridor. Establishment of Clusters of Cargo along
the Corridor. Ways and means to rectify identified missing
links, bottlenecks, border crossing problems and other
obstacles.
Influencing the spatial planning towards a positive
development in the corridor as a whole.
Contributing to exchange of knowledge and cooperation
between the different national traffic authorities, which can
provide mutual views when determining traffic solutions, thus
harmonising long term infrastructural planning.
Testing of an Internet-portal as a platform for
information and interchange between freight operators and
cargo customers in the Mid-Nordic Transport Corridor.
Completion of an overall implementation plan with evaluation
of financial and
socio- economic and environmental impacts.
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