Corridor prepares for Enlargement

The first joint meeting of the current and future group of Infrastructure Managers of the Alpine-Western Balkan Rail Freight Corridor (AWB RFC) was held on 20th March 2025.

Ms Helga Steinberger, Chair of the General Assembly, introduced the AWB RFC which currently connects Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia. The corridor includes 21 intermodal terminals and 12 marshaling yards, extending from Salzburg to several cities including Beograd, Sofia, and Svilengrad. The network is set to expand significantly with the addition of nine new infrastructure managers (IMs) from Greece, Italy, Hungary, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ms Steinberger discussed the corridor’s legal structure and the advantages of increased cooperation along the extended routes, including heightened trade and economic growth. She also noted challenges, such as differing technical standards and varying EU integration statuses among countries, which must be addressed to meet the EU’s ambitious goals for interoperability. The transition to a new structure aligned with the future Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean European Transport Corridor (WBEM ETC) runs on a tight schedule, therefore, the meeting at the Ministry level in June is crucial, and new IMs are as of now invited to join the Corridor’s working groups.

Mr Dino Džafo, COSS Manager of the PMO, gave an insight into the Corridor One Stop Shop (C-OSS), detailing its role in handling requests for international freight train infrastructure capacity. He explained the Pre-arranged Train Paths (PaPs), Reserve Capacities (RC), and the process for allocating capacity across different corridors. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and working groups aimed at improving corridor efficiency were also discussed.

Mr Tihomir Španić, Infrastructure Manager of the PMO, discussed various corridor infrastructure documents and projects focusing on reducing dwell times at border crossings, including ongoing and concluded pilot projects aimed at improving efficiency. Ms Saša Jerele, Executive Manager of the PMO, provided an overview of annual activities and the achievements of collaboration within the corridor.

A question-and-answer session addressed integration processes and potential challenges, the nomination of experts, and collaboration on the Implementation Plan. Immediate next steps include opening the working groups, information exchange with the new members, and coordinating consultations with Railway Undertakings.