From China to the Rhine-Alpine Corridor

Future challenges and the impact of emerging trade routes on the RALP Corridor

The 13^th edition of the Rhine-Alpine talks explores future challenges for the Rhine-Alpine (RALP) Corridor in the face of increasing transport flows and logistics from emerging global trade corridors. These new routes include not only the intercontinental rail freight connections between China, Russia and Europe (Belt and Road Initiative), but also the Middle East and Northeast Europe (International North-South Corridor). Given the increasing global transport flows over the next decades, it is important for EGTC members and relevant stakeholders to establish a sound and fundamental understanding of the impact of new geo-economic trends on regions and cities along the RALP Corridor.

EGTC has been involved in a 3-year Horizon 2020 project, PLANET, which aims to establish several future scenarios for assessing the expected impact of emerging trade routes on the TEN-T Corridors (https://www.planetproject.eu). The RALP Corridor was selected for one of Living Labs for the PLANET project, looking into the potential impact on the RALP Corridor of handling considerable volumes of goods due to expanding Eurasian rail freight. For the effective impact assessment three simulations (year 2019, 2030 and 2050) are developed in order to highlight the destinations of these flows and terminals facilitating inter-modal connections for first and last mile.

The main goal of this event is to discuss future investment needs along the RALP Corridor and innovative ways of overcoming capacity issues through digitalization and optimisation, which would bring policy implications for TEN-T Corridors.