NECL - North East Cargo Link
Overview
Background & policy context:
The project is part of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme Measure / Priority: Measure 2.2 'Creating sustainable communication links for improved spatial integration' that belongs to one of the three different strands of the European Community Initiative INTERREG III.
The programme is part-financed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) covering the period 2000-2006. Strand B of the INTERREG Initiative supports transnational co-operation to enhance balanced and sustainable development of the European territory. 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.
Objectives:
North East Cargo Link (NECL) is aiming at promoting and marketing new, speedy and safe intermodal transport system across the Mid-Nordic countries with connection from East and West.
NECL is supported by and works in close co-operation with private enterprises, national authorities and municipalities in Sweden, Norway and Finland which also have connections with interests in Russia and Great Britain. Briefly, NECL aims to launch an overall strategy for fully developed sustainable transport solutions and intermodality in the Mid-Nordic Region.
The strategy contains, among other things, complete investment and financial plans based on feasibility studies for identified bottlenecks and missing links along the corridor.
Methodology:
In order to make the aimed transport system across the Mid-Nordic countries fully operable, a certain number of measures have to be taken. The existing means of transport in the region 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. NECL will study and create alternative transport solutions that reorient the mental map to include an East-West perspective in the Mid-Nordic Region. The purpose is 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.
The project is also aiming to establish business networks between interested partners in the participating countries, Great Britain and Russia. Market and goods flow studies will identify potential cargo-flows and business opportunities. A portal will be created for freight and business on the Internet in order to facilitate ordering of transport services, promoting trade in the Mid-Nordic Region and guiding business to emerging and interesting markets in Russia and Europe.
Measures to eliminate identified border problems and other obstacles for trade and transport will be taken.
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