The general economic development of any region largely depends on the level of its transport development. And here international transport corridors are of great importance. They connect different countries, ensuring their economic, cultural and scientific-technical cooperation. But international transport corridors are not only economic benefits here and now. It is also a guarantee of security and successful development of the state for many years to come.
This article will discuss what international transport corridors are, how they are formed and developed.
International transport corridor - what is it?
The term "international transport corridor" (or, in short, MTK) is understood to mean a complex transport system, which is laid in the most important direction of traffic. This system involves a combination of its various types - automobile, railway, marine, as well as pipeline.
As practice shows, international transport corridors are most efficiently operated within the framework of common economic zones. The densest MTK network today is characteristic of the European region (especially for Eastern and Central Europe). This, in particular, was facilitated by the adoption by the EU countries of a new transport policy in 2005. An important role in this new concept was assigned to maritime transport routes.
The formation of international transport corridors became relevant at a time when the need for large international transport of goods has grown significantly. Such corridors, as a rule, are crucial for the development of both freight and passenger transport in a country or an entire region.
The role and importance of MTK
The development of international transport corridors is important not only from the standpoint of commercial benefits. After all, transnational transportation is not only profitable. They also stimulate the growth and development of the military, industrial, and scientific branches of states. In addition, MTK also contribute to the active expansion of the infrastructure of the regions through which they pass.
In many economically developed countries, the issue of transport policy and transport security is put at the highest level of priority. Russia also needs to take an example from them in this aspect.
The main functions of MTK
What are the main tasks that international transport corridors must fulfill? There are several of them:
- Providing high-quality, reliable and convenient transportation for all participants in economic relations.
- Providing a kind of "bridges", opportunities for full-fledged trade between states.
- Participation in the formation of military security of countries and entire regions.
The last paragraph should be discussed in more detail. The fact is that the military security of any territory without exception depends very much on the level of development of its transport network. In simple words: the more motorways, railways and stations, sea harbors and airfields in the state, the easier it is to organize defense, to bring in equipment, weapons and resources in the event of external military aggression.
The system of international transport corridors in Europe and Asia
The main transport corridors of the Eurasian region include the following transport corridors:
- MTC North-South, covering the Scandinavian countries, the states of Central-Eastern Europe, the European part of Russia, the Caspian region, as well as the countries of South Asia.
- The Trans-Siberian Railway (or MTK Transsib) is the most important corridor passing through the expanses of Russia and connecting the countries of Central Europe with China, Kazakhstan and the Korean Peninsula. It has several branches to Kiev, St. Petersburg, Ulan Bator.
- MTK No. 1 (pan-European) - connects the important cities of the Baltic states - Riga, Kaliningrad and Gdansk.
- MTK No. 2 (pan-European) - connects cities such as Minsk, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. In the future, it is planned to continue the corridor to Yekaterinburg.
- MTK No. 9 (pan-European) - interconnects Helsinki, the northern capital of Russia - St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kiev.
All international transport corridors have their own designations - indices. For example, MTK North-South is assigned the NS index, Transsib - TS and so on.
MTK system of Russia
Several MTK pass through the territory of our country. Thus, the most important international transport corridors of Russia are the Northern Sea Route, the Primorye-1 transport and transport complex, and the Primorye-2 transport and transport complex.
The transport corridor called the Northern Sea Route connects important cities of Russia - Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Dudinka. It has an international designation - SMP.
MTC Primorye-1 passes through Harbin, Vladivostok, Nakhodka and goes to the important ports of the Pacific region.
MTC Primorye-2 connects the cities of Hunchun, Kraskino, Zarubino and also opens to the ports of East Asia.
International transport corridors of Russia: problems and development prospects
In the modern world, there are three powerful poles of economic development: North American, European and East Asian. And Russia, being in a favorable geographical position between these important poles, must take advantage of this situation and establish regular transport traffic on its territory. In other words, it is our country that is obliged to connect these world centers with developed and modern transport corridors.
Russia is quite capable of taking on almost all the major Eurasian transport flows. Experts predict that with the right reorganization of the domestic transport system, this can be achieved in 15-20 years. Russia has all the conditions for this: a dense railway network, an extensive system of highways, and a dense grid of navigable rivers. However, the process of effective formation of transport corridors includes not only the expansion of the transport network, but also its modernization, as well as logistics and transportation safety.
Very promising for Russia is the creation of the so-called MTK "East - West" - the most important transport corridor that could connect Europe with Japan. The basis for this international transport corridor can be the existing Trans-Siberian Railway with branches of the railway to the seaports of the northern part of Russia.
According to statistics from recent years, trade between Europe and East Asia (primarily Japan and South Korea) has grown more than five times. Moreover, the bulk of the goods between these regions is transported across the ocean. Therefore, a direct land transport corridor can be an excellent alternative to the sea route. But for this, the Russian authorities should make a lot of efforts and material means.
MTK "North - South"
The North-South international transport corridor provides communication between the countries of the Baltic region with India and Iran. Index of this transport corridor: NS.
The main competitor of this corridor is the sea transport route through the Suez Canal. However, the MTC North-South has several tangible advantages. First of all, this land route is twice as short in distance, which means that transporting goods this way is much cheaper.
Today, Kazakhstan is a particularly active participant in this transport corridor. The country uses it to transport its export goods (primarily cereals) to the Gulf countries. The total turnover of this corridor is estimated at 25 million tons of cargo annually.
MTK "North - South" includes three main branches:
- Trans-Caspian - connects the ports of Olya, Makhachkala and Astrakhan;
- East - is a land rail connection of the countries of Central Asia and Iran;
- Western - passes along the line Astrakhan - Samur - Astara (via Makhachkala).
Pan-European MTK No. 1
The extensive transport system in Central and Eastern Europe is called Pan-European. It covers ten international corridors in different directions. It is designated as "PE" with the addition of a specific digit (from I to X).
The pan-European international transport corridor-1 passes through the territory of six states: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Poland. Its total length is 3285 kilometers (of which 1655 km - by motorway and 1630 km - by rail).
The pan-European MTK No. 1 connects the major European capitals with each other: Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas and Warsaw. Within the borders of this transport corridor there are six airports and 11 ports. Part of it passes through the territory of Russia, within the Kaliningrad region, and includes a large Baltic port - the city of Kaliningrad.
Pan-European MTK No. 2
In 1994, a special conference on transport was held on the island of Crete, at which the main directions of the future Pan-European transport system were identified. It consists of 10 different directions.
The Pan-European International Transport Corridor-2 connects Central Europe with the European part of Russia. It passes through the territory of four states. These are Germany, Poland, Belarus and the Russian Federation. The transport corridor connects such large cities as Berlin, Poznan, Warsaw, Brest, Minsk, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod.
Finally...
Thus, the development of international transport corridors is of utmost importance for any region of the world. The creation and effective operation of such corridors pursues not only economic, but also cultural, demographic and military-strategic goals.