New transport corridors will connect Northeast Asia. International transport corridors of Russia. Formation and development of international transport corridors

Promising international transport corridors (ITC) of the North and North pass through the territory of Primorye. East Asia. In particular, the launch of the Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 transport corridors can provide a good incentive for development. Mikhail Kholosha, head of the transport development department of the Far Eastern Research, Design and Engineering Institute of the Marine Fleet (DNIIMF), told how the plan is being implemented and what needs to be done. Mikhail Kholosha: “For the development of international transport corridors with the participation of Primorye, multilateral international cooperation is necessary”

Mikhail Vasilyevich, during the times of the USSR and for many years after that, the development of transport in the Far East took place under conditions of dominance of export cargo and servicing domestic transportation. The share of transit was negligible. When in the late 90s they started talking about integration into the international transport system, they were talking only about the intermodal transport corridor “East - West” (Asia - Europe). What are Primorye ITCs: when was their idea formulated, are they recognized by the international transport community and are they not a replacement for previous ideas?

Primorye has potential in different segments of the transit market, this is not only the transcontinental Asia-Europe route, but also transit in our region, within Asia or the Asia-Pacific region. No one has canceled the East-West corridor, but regional transport corridors are also important for economic development. Moreover, there is a greater demand for these corridors; less effort and money are required to launch them.

Much more international cargo can go through the ports of Primorye. These are cargoes from China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, North and South America and many other countries of the world.

The economic situation is such that if the necessary conditions are created, our ports can:
- continue to serve growing exports;
- increase the volume of servicing imported cargo from Asia-Pacific countries, which often arrive in our Far Eastern region with travel “around” globe» along the route “Asia-Europe-Asia”;
- enter the transit market, the volume of which may exceed traditional transportation (export, import and cabotage).

Now about the history: in 1995, Russia became a participant in the “Program for the Development of the Tumannaya River Basin”, everyone remembers it as the Tumangan Project, this program has not existed for a long time. But on its basis, in 2005, the “Extended Tumangan Initiative” (RTI) was established - a multilateral cooperation mechanism with the support of the UN Development Program with the participation of the PRC, the DPRK (withdrew from the RTI in 2009), the Republic of Korea, Mongolia and the Russian Federation. Japan participates on a non-governmental basis.

It's like in nature: a caterpillar turned into a butterfly! This transformation made it possible to form an entire mechanism for the development of the transport and logistics network of North-East Asia from the idea of ​​one corridor (Tumangan). As a result, the role of Primorye has strengthened, and we have the opportunity to realize our diversified transit potential.

But the birth of the corridor system did not occur in RTI. In 2000, an international team of specialists from Russia, China, Mongolia, South Korea and Japan, under the leadership of the ERINA Institute (Japan), formulated the Concept of Northeast Asia Corridors. In 2002 it was approved for Economic Forum NEA countries in Niigata. From that moment on, it was officially recognized, including its parts - ITC "Primorye-1" (Harbin - Suifenhe - Grodekovo - ports of Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vostochny - ports of the Asia-Pacific region) and "Primorye-2" (Changchun - Jilin - Hunchun - Makhalino - Posyet - Zarubino - ports of the Asia-Pacific region). DNIIMF took an active part in the creation of this concept. At that stage, it was an idea that did not have a suitable platform for implementation.

There was also an attempt to promote corridors in the UNESCAP format, but it ended in 2004, when this organization shifted its focus to Central Asia. Therefore, in 2010, we proposed updating the RTI transport strategy, because its Tumangan corridor did not solve all the problems, and the geographical mandate of the RTI is much broader: it covers the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia of the PRC, three eastern provinces of Mongolia (Dornod, Khentii and Sukhbaatar), the eastern ports of the Republic of Korea and the territory of Primorye. The idea was supported. As a result, today RTI is the only international organization, which is developing the international transport corridor with access to the ports of Primorye, and, given the level of its compactness (4 countries), this is a convenient platform for coordination and preparation of the necessary intergovernmental agreements.

Usually everyone asks for numbers, and they are often given. For example, the possible demand for transit in the next 10–15 years only through the port of Zarubino, according to general estimates, could reach 90–100 million tons annually. Impressive! But there are several “buts” in understanding the question. First: transit is a particularly “moving” cargo in choosing the most attractive route. Second: I gave an example of only one corridor out of several. And third: we are not talking about the microeconomics of transport, but about the infrastructure support for the development of the economic space, including the territories and economies of the NEA countries, including (which is important for us) our Primorsky edge.

Therefore, the point here is not at all about “tons” of new cargo turnover. These are new opportunities for the development of the region, and there is a nuance: the macroeconomics of corridors provides beneficial effects for many countries. A study carried out in 2012 by a group of its experts showed that in order to develop corridors, it is necessary to strictly follow international demand for transport.

- What needs to be done first?

The uneven development of infrastructure within Northeast Asia hinders the economic development of the countries in the region. We can grow together, so we need to continue to work on creating a transport and logistics system in Primorye, aiming at overall result sailors, port workers, railway workers, customs officers, logisticians and other participants in the process. After all, the creation of an international transport complex is impossible without effective logistics, and it rests on the four “Cs” - speed, cost, service, stability.

I recently returned from the next RTI Transport Council, which took place on June 15–16 in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia). We discussed how the regional transport strategy of RTI is being implemented, including the current problems of improving the multimodal transport that is in demand in the region using sea and land modes of transport. To develop these transportations using the Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 ITCs, it is important to remove the key barrier - the ineffective transit procedure. This will enable businesses to engage in technical, technological and economic improvement with minimal risks.

You have repeatedly emphasized in your speeches that when creating the ITC, not only competition, but also cooperation plays an important role. Explain what you mean?

The peculiarities of the integration of transport systems are that there is both intense competition (struggle for the volume and territory of logistics services) and active cooperation. If you mark on the map the corresponding territories of Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, the Russian Far East and the DPRK, it is clearly visible how a unified macroeconomic space is gradually being created, and this, in turn, requires interacting elements of a common logistics infrastructure, the presence of unified standards, legal norms etc. The solution to these issues is impossible on the basis of competition and without cooperation.

Not yet, although testing of routes on Russian sections of the ITC is happening more and more often and more effectively. There have been many successful demonstration runs in the last five years.

For example, in 2010, Niigata Prefecture conducted a successful test of transporting two containers along the Hunchun-Zarubino-Niigata route. Further, in 2011, 10 containers were transported from Hunchun to the Korean port of Busan, and another batch of containers was transported to Japan. In August 2013, the first demonstration train with coal passed through the Kamyshovaya station (Russia) to Hunchun, in the spring of 2014 - the first transit container train from Suifenhe to Grodekovo and further to the Vostochny port (with delivery to Asia-Pacific countries), in January of this year the transportation of containers to the Vostochny port.

Successful tests and demonstration launches are an indicator that the infrastructure allows for the transportation of goods, but the ITC is a system of a higher level of economic, information, technical and technological interaction of the transport process. Therefore, there are no corridors yet, although the process has definitely begun. When corridor technologies, services and the corresponding market are formed on these routes, then we can say that the ITC is working.

The concept of NEA corridors was formulated almost 15 years ago. Has time confirmed its authenticity? Has anything changed during this time?

A team of RTI experts constantly monitors economic developments and regularly exchanges information. As demand for transportation changes, RTI will make appropriate adjustments to its transport strategy. These issues are always actively discussed.

Time has shown: those routes that were marked with a dotted line on the map as potential are now becoming operational. This is actively happening on the Mongolian side: the country is rapidly developing (the Millennium project and others), improving the network of roads and railways, developing aviation, and successfully seeking access to the sea. And development is happening on our shoulders, which will lead to new demand, which we really need. This is the essence of development: new high-quality ideas emerge that need to be supported infrastructurally.

By the way, in 2014, at the 15th session of the RTI Advisory Commission in Yanji (PRC), an agreement was signed on the creation of the Association of Export-Import Banks of China, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia and Russia (VEB entered into it). financial support interregional infrastructure projects. Currently, the banks’ project list includes eight projects from Mongolia, four from the Republic of Korea, three from China (including Russian-Chinese projects) and two from Russia (similarly, including projects for the development of the Zarubino seaport and a coal terminal in the Khabarovsk Territory). The RTI train is picking up speed, it is important not to be late for it.

And yet, new circumstances have appeared in the development of transport and logistics infrastructure: the Eurasian Economic Union, the Chinese new “Silk Road”, the law on the free port of Vladivostok is about to be adopted...

Yes, in 2015, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was created, which has international legal personality, relevant institutions and a legal framework, including the Customs Code of the Union that is being created, since this is an integration economic association - a union.

On May 8 this year, Russia and China signed a joint statement on cooperation to integrate the development of the Eurasian economic union and the Economic Belt project Silk Road”, including its north-eastern part (by the way, coinciding with the geographical mandate of RTI). I will add that today the PRC is working on the “One Belt, One Road” megaproject, which includes maritime (Maritime Silk Road of the 21st century) and continental (Silk Road Economic Belt) components, and these are not only different routes between Europe and Asia. As the Chinese themselves say, this is a project to create a single economic and cultural space.

You mentioned the draft Federal Law “On the Free Port of Vladivostok” developed by the Ministry of Eastern Development. The State Duma will consider it in the near future. We all hope that it will be able to facilitate the passage of transit cargo, because this is extremely necessary.

There is also the South Korean “Eurasian Initiative”, which is interesting with the idea of ​​harmonizing the development of all Eurasian countries. There is a view from Japan and other countries, and this needs to be taken into account. And projects promoted by Russia, including projects of the Ministry of Eastern Development, and ideas included in the Federal Target Program for the development of the region.

The strategic field is very voluminous and multifaceted. It seems constructive to jointly promote development ideas based on their compatibility and complementarity.

Based on this, the RTI mechanism can become effective platform coordination of transport development in different formats cooperation. This is important for transit, especially taking into account the necessary consistency of procedures with the new Customs Code of the EAEU.

Another important aspect is a mutually beneficial format of cooperation, ensuring a balance of mutual benefits. This is a complex process with multilateral significance due to the involvement of many countries.

How, in your opinion, should cooperation be formed when organizing the ITC - is it a simple sum of bilateral agreements, for example, Russia with China, Russia with Mongolia, and so on? Or is it a more complex design?

Macroeconomics is always more than the amount individual microeconomic objects or projects. Therefore, a corridor is not a simple sum; in addition, transit along corridors is a relationship between several, less often two, and most often more countries It is impossible to do without a multilateral format of interaction, but it must be supplemented by bilateral and unilateral initiatives.

There is one more aspect that reveals the versatility and multiplicity of sides in the development of corridors. There are transcontinental routes that connect Europe and Asia: the Northern Sea Route, the BAM, the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Central Trans-China Route, the Southern Sea Route (via the Suez Canal), etc. But they are also the basis of the regional transport network. MTC “Primorye-1” and “Primorye-2” are part of regional corridors, which in turn (like a nesting doll in a nesting doll!) are fragments of transcontinental corridors. Therefore, these corridors do not compete so much as they complement each other in order to cover the entire space of a huge continent.

How can we take into account the interests of private business (getting as much profit as possible!) and the state interested in the macroeconomic effect for the development of territories?

It is clear that the creation of corridors is always a task of spatial economic development, which should take into account both macro- and microeconomic returns.

The difficulty lies in the laboriousness of taking into account all the necessary aspects: economic, political, government, social, etc. But this will minimize risks and ensure a long-term balance of mutual benefit for all participants.

Interviewed by Irina DROBYSHEVA

The concept of a transport corridor

Intermodal and multimodal transportation technologies are most effectively implemented within transport corridors.

Definition 1

Transport corridor is a high-tech transport system that concentrates on a specific direction transport communications, providing mass transportation of goods between densely populated areas.

Transport corridors formed in international communications are called international transport corridors (ITC); they function most effectively in a single customs and economic space.

Transport corridors that include several modes of transport are called multimodal transport corridors. Such corridors should be provided not only with a developed transport infrastructure, but also with modern terminal and warehouse facilities.

The objectives of the formation and development of the ITC are as follows:

• coordinated formation and development of the transport and logistics infrastructure of states for the unhindered movement of passengers and cargo across national borders;
• organization effective interaction modes of transport in a multi-intermodal transport chain;
• rationalization of the transportation process in order to improve the quality of the logistics process and reduce the transport component in the final price of the product;
• creating conditions for reducing transport tariffs by increasing the effective load of the transport network;
• increasing transport accessibility of regions;
• increasing population mobility;
• development of cross-border cooperation, development of new territories and new trade markets;
• promoting the development of cultural relations and international tourism.

Pan-European transport corridors

The most widely developed MTCs of the central and of Eastern Europe, which are called pan-European or Cretan transport corridors.

In Crete in March 1994, during the II Pan-European Conference, 9 ITCs were identified. In 1997, at the III Pan-European Conference in Helsinki, the number of ITCs was increased to 10, and recommendations for their expansion were proposed. Pan-European international transport corridors involve railway, water and automobile transport. The following passes through the territory of the Russian Federation:

• MTC No. 2 Berlin - Pozan - Warsaw - Minsk - Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod (a proposal to extend this MTC to Yekaterinburg was also accepted)
• MTC No. 9 Helsinki – St. Petersburg – Moscow – Gomel – Kyiv – access to the Black Sea ports.

Transport corridors of Russia

The system of transport corridors on the territory of the Russian Federation includes:

• the Euro-Asian corridor “North-South” (connects the Baltic countries with India, runs through the territory of Russia);
• the Euro-Asian corridor “East – West” (connects Europe with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region), its basis is the Trans-Siberian Railway;
• the Northern Sea Route corridor, NSR (connects the European part of the Russian Federation and the Far East, passes through the seas of the Arctic Ocean);
• a system of corridors connecting the northeastern provinces of China through the seaports of the Primorsky Territory with the ports of the Asia-Pacific countries.

In the system of transport corridors of the Russian Federation, the pan-European ITC No. 2 is included in the Trans-Siberian Railway, and a section of corridor No. 9 (the border of Finland - St. Petersburg - Moscow) is part of the North - South corridor.

Excerpts from the report of the Transport Subcommittee of the Organizing Committee Economic Conference Northeast Asia
Nine Transport Corridors of Northeast Asia
Russian Expert Review No. 10 2004

The list shows both currently operating and conceptual corridors, but in the future all of them should become the main corridors for transporting international goods in the region. From the description above it is clear that the corridors include only land areas. However, it must be remembered that they will be connected by sea lines to Japan, the Republic of Korea, the countries of Southeast Asia and North America.
The main problems of NEA transport corridors (related to gaps in the railway or road infrastructure, differences in railway gauge width, problems passing CIQ control, problems with access zones trucks neighboring countries) that impede the smooth passage of goods and people across borders. The solution to these problems is a necessary condition ensuring unimpeded transportation along NEA transport corridors.

Current state and problems of transport corridors

3.1 Transport corridor Vanino – Taishet

3.1.1 Meaning

The Vanino-Taishet transport corridor connects the Russian Far East with the countries of Europe and Central Asia and plays a complementary role in relation to the Trans-Siberian Railway. The corridor originates in the port of Vanino on the shore of the Tatar Strait (Mamiya Strait) and runs along the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), which connects with the Trans-Siberian Railway, which then leads to the countries of Europe and Central Asia. There is a railway ferry between Vanino and Kholmsk (Sakhalin), providing access to Sakhalin.

3.1.2 Current situation

1) Port (Vanino)
The port of Vanino maintains a regular container line to Busan. The railway route begins at the Toki marshalling station, 8 km north of the port, and stretches across the whole of Russia along the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1999, the port's capacity allowed it to annually handle up to 14 million tons of cargo, including 40,000 containers (TEU).
The port of Vanino mainly processes petrochemical products, wood, aluminum, coal, scrap metal, and fish products. Every year, 1.3 million tons of petrochemical products are shipped through the port from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Refinery. Two thirds of these products are sent to Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Magadan, and a third are exported to Korea, China and Malaysia. Annual volumes of wood processing reach 1.2 million tons, of which 1 million tons are round wood. 80% of the wood is exported to Japan, and the rest to China and South Korea. The specialized complex annually processes 570,000 tons of alumina, which is imported mainly from Australia and sent to the Bratsk aluminum plant (3,900 km), where electricity from the Bratsk hydroelectric power station on the Angara River is used to produce aluminum. Finished products are delivered to Vanino, from where they are exported mainly to Japan, and partly to America and Southeast Asian countries. From the coal terminal, 400,000 tons of Kemerovo coal are shipped annually to Japan and Taiwan. The volume of processing of ferrous metal products and scrap also reaches 400,000 tons. These cargoes are mainly sent to the Republic of Korea, although in the last three years some quantities have also been shipped to Japan.

2) Railway network
The port of Vanino can handle up to 360 TEU from ships to platforms and send them through the Toki marshalling yard (can handle up to 170,000 wagons annually) at Komsomolsk-on-Amur on the same day. Currently, the port does not have specific rules for the formation of specialized container trains, so containers are sent even if there are only 13-15 pieces. Once every two weeks, a train with 50-60 containers leaves for Moscow and the Central Asian region.
Container trains from Vanino to Moscow and Central Asia follow the Trans-Siberian Railway, equipped with a container tracking system. The remaining cargo is transported along the BAM, a railway line with a total length of 4,300 km, passing through the taiga regions 200-500 km north of the Trans-Siberian Railway and connecting Vanino and Taishet. The bottleneck is the single-track and non-electrified section between Vanino and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the complexity of which is predetermined by the landscape.

3) Road network
The length of the road between Vanino, Lidoga (south of Komsomolsk-on-Amur) and Khabarovsk is 500 km, of which 300 km are not paved. Transportation by road began in the fall of 1998, and all the way to winter period takes 8 hours. It is expected that upon completion construction work time will be reduced to 5-6 hours.

3.1.3 Problems and challenges

In terms of railway transportation, at first glance, there is a need to build second tracks on single-track sections, as well as to implement electrification. However, the existing capacity is quite sufficient for the existing cargo flow, so it is rather necessary to direct efforts to maintain existing capabilities, as well as measures to attract cargo. In addition, the width of the Russian railway gauge on the mainland is 1,520 mm, while on Sakhalin it is 1,067 mm, and therefore there is a need to reload wagons in Kholmsk.
In area road transport The main task seems to be the development of the Vanino-Khabarovsk highway and especially the section between Vanino and Lidoga.

3.2 Trans-Siberian Transport Corridor (Trans-Siberian Container Bridge - TSCM)

3.2.1 Meaning

The Trans-Siberian Container Bridge (TSBC) is an international intermodal transport system, the sea leg of which includes transportation between the ports of Japan and the Republic of Korea and the ports of the Russian Far East (ports of Vostochny, Vladivostok and Nakhodka), and the railway section provides transportation between Russian ports and European countries and Central Asia. TSKM developed as an alternative to the sea transport route between Asia and Europe, and the peak of transportation of Japanese transit containers along the Trans-Siberian Railway was noted in 1983. To date, the volume of transit containers on this route has decreased significantly, and the question of measures to intensify its use has become acute.

3.2.2 Current status

1) Port (East)
Port Vostochny is located in the eastern part of Nakhodka Bay. Cargoes such as coal, containers, timber, wood chips, clinker, chemical fertilizers, and coke are processed here. 99% of cargo turnover is cargo foreign trade, and these are mainly export cargo (90-95%). The port's capacity allows it to process up to 20 million tons of cargo annually. In 1990, the port's cargo turnover was 11.4 million tons, but by 1998 it had decreased to 6.25 million tons.
The complex for processing foreign containers has two berths with a depth of 12.5 m and is equipped with four container cranes with a lifting capacity of 30.5 tons. Up to 200,000 TEU can be handled here per year, but in 1999 the volume of containers was only about 60,000 TEU.
The port has access to the Trans-Siberian Railway, and specialized container trains depart directly from Vostochny to Europe. Moreover, the port of Vostochny is connected by a container line with the port of Seattle on the west coast of the United States, which made it possible to begin the implementation of the concept of the East-West transport corridor, which involves the creation of an effective transportation system in the directions of the Far East - West Coast of the United States, as well as the Northeast provinces of the People's Republic of China - West Coast of the USA.

2) Railway network
According to the classification of Russian railways The Trans-Siberian Railway is a first class road with a gauge of 1,520 mm (5 ft). Throughout its entire length, with the exception of the bridge over the Amur near Khabarovsk (2,658 m), the road is double-track. 96% of the route is electrified, and work is currently underway on the only non-electrified section Bikin - Ussuriysk (417 km), and it is expected that in 2002 the road will be completely converted to electric traction.
The bridge over the Amur in the Khabarovsk region had one railway track and until recently was one of the obstacles for efficient work route. In this regard, a project for the construction of a new combined bridge, which is two-level design with a multi-track railway at the bottom and a four-lane highway at the top level. The first stage of the new bridge has already been built next to the old supports. The railway part was put into operation in November 1998, and the automobile part in November 1999.
There are several container terminals on the Trans-Siberian Railway that can handle 40-foot containers. These terminals are located in the port of Vostochny, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The Trans-Siberian Railway can transport up to 1 million container units (TEU) annually. Currently, only 50-70% of the highway's capacity is used, so even with the existing infrastructure there are ample opportunities to increase the number of trains and the volume of transported cargo.

3) Road network
The development of the road network in the Russian Far East, with the exception of the Vladivostok/Nakhodka – Ussuriysk – Khabarovsk and Khabarovsk – Birobidzhan routes, is carried out at an extremely slow pace, and the Amur River is widely used for transporting goods. Before the construction of the new bridge over the Amur, trucks were transported across the river in the Khabarovsk area by ferry, which took about 40 minutes. The new bridge allows you to cross the Amur in five minutes. The construction of the road that will connect Khabarovsk and Moscow is almost complete (unfinished sections remain in the Amur region). At the same time, in the Far East many roads do not yet have a hard surface.

3.2.3 Problems and challenges

The reasons for the sharp decline in transportation volumes along the TSKM were the weakening of the management and coordination system for international intermodal transport; an increase in tariffs and a simultaneous decrease in the cost of sea freight; instability of delivery times (irregularity); security issues where cargo has been lost or damaged; low level service; problems with the provision of containers and the extreme complexity of customs procedures.
To enhance the use of TSKM, it is necessary to solve such problems as simplifying registration procedures, increasing the competitiveness of TSKM as an international intermodal transport system, expanding marketing activities and restoring confidence in the route, as well as expanding connections between government agencies and the private sector.
Infrastructure development goals include completing the second stage of the bridge over the Amur, reducing the time required to cross the Polish-Belarusian border, where roads with different widths gauge, full electrification of the road and increase average speed transportation. It is also necessary to ensure the regular movement of container trains from the port of Vostochny, regardless of the presence or absence of cargo.

3.3 Suifenhe Transport Corridor

3.3.1 Meaning

The Suifenhe transport corridor begins at the Russian ports of Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Vostochny, passes through the Chinese border city of Suifenhe and Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, then in the west through the city of Manzhouli and Russian Zabaikalsk before reaching Chita, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway. This corridor gives the province access to sea routes to Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States.

3.3.2 Current situation

1) Ports
The port of Vladivostok is located in a natural bay with depths of up to 30 m, so the water area does not freeze even in winter. The port of Vladivostok consists of three ports: commercial, fishing and military. The commercial port was privatized in 1993 and is now Joint stock company"Vladivostok trade port". The port occupies berths No. 1 to No. 17 with depths of 8-13 m, the length of the berths is 4,200 m. Berths No. 16 and No. 17 are used only for container handling. The container terminal is equipped with two container cranes (30.5 t) and can handle up to 100,000 TEU per year. The depth reaches 13 m, and the length (420 m) allows simultaneous maintenance of 2 container ships. The railway lines of the commercial port have access to the Trans-Siberian Railway. Loading and unloading operations are carried out around the clock.
The port currently has four scheduled lines, including the North American Line to Seattle.
The port of Nakhodka is located on the western shore of Nakhodka Bay in a convenient natural bay, and is protected by a peninsula. This is an ice-free port with a depth of 13 m at the berths. Soviet period Nakhodka was the only port in the Russian Far East open to foreign ships. The Japan-Nakhodka line was opened in 1958, and its 40th anniversary was celebrated in 1998. The line is served by regular bulk carriers, which sometimes deliver small quantities of containers.
Almost all containers transported along the TSKM are accepted by the Vostochny Port, so the share of containers in Nakhodka’s cargo turnover is insignificant. However, the port of Nakhodka has access to the Trans-Siberian Railway.

2) Railway network
The railway from the ports of the Primorsky Territory to Grodekovo on the section to Ussuriysk is electrified and has two tracks. The Ussuriysk-Grodekovo branch is single-track and is served by diesel locomotives. Since the gauges in Russia and China are different, a combined four-rail line was built between Grodekovo and Suifenhe, and cargo is transshipped at border stations. At Suifenhe station, cargo is reloaded by cranes (including one with a lifting capacity of 50 tons) and forklifts. Up to 150 wagons can be processed per day.
The line from Suifenhe to Harbin is not electrified, the Suifenhe-Mudanjiang section is single-track, and then there is a double-track road to Harbin. The Harbin-Manchuria line is also not electrified. Between Harbin and Hailar there is a double-track road, and from Hailar to Manchuria there is a single-track road.
Manchuria and Zabaikalsk are connected by one broad gauge line and one standard gauge line. Every day 8 trains (400 wagons) arrive from Russia, and approximately the same number comes from China, although there are many empty wagons in this direction. There is a principle according to which the transshipment of cargo is carried out by the receiving party, therefore cargo traveling from Russia to China is reloaded at the Manzhouli station, and cargo traveling to Russia is reloaded at Zabaikalsk. Directly at the Manzhouli station, mainly non-container cargo is processed, and a separate terminal was built near the station for container processing. The station's capacity is 5 million tons of cargo per year. In Zabaikalsk, containers are partially processed at a site behind the passenger station, and at some distance there is a specialized container complex.

3) Road network
The Vostochny-Nakhodka-Vladivostok-Grodekovo highway is two-lane and has an asphalt surface, and the width of the lanes is sufficient for the smooth passage of container ships. A significant number of 40-foot containers are transported between Nakhodka and Vladivostok. Near the border on the Russian side there is small area without asphalt, but this does not interfere with the movement of trailers transporting large containers. On the Chinese side, Suifenhe and Harbin are also connected by a two-lane road with an improved surface, which in some places expands to four lanes.
Chinese trucks can reach Ussuriysk, and Russian cargo carriers are allowed to go to Mudanjiang. State highway No. 301 runs from Harbin to the Chinese-Russian border in the direction of Chita. There is a customs post in the city of Manzhouli through which significant volumes of cargo pass. As far as one can judge from the Russian section when traveling by train, the road here has an asphalt surface.

3.3.3 Problems and challenges

Since the gauges in Russia and China are different, the main task seems to be to modernize and increase the efficiency of transshipment capacities.
To enhance road transport, it is advisable to expand mutual access zones for trucks. IN organizationally It is necessary to simplify customs clearance procedures and introduce preferential treatment for transit cargo, including exemption from customs duties and the abolition of customs clearance fees.

3.4 Tumangan transport corridor

3.4.1 Meaning

The Tumangan transport corridor connects the ports of the Tumangan River region (ports of Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)) and the eastern part of Mongolia, passing through the city of Changchun in Jilin Province. The corridor has two routes: through the Russian ports of Zarubino and Posyet and through the North Korean port of Rajin.
It is expected that the Tumang Corridor will find its niche as a new route opening Jilin Province to the sea, and will be able to absorb some of the cargo currently transported along the congested Dalian transport corridor.

3.4.2 Current situation

1) Ports
Port Zarubino is conveniently located on the western shore of Trinity Bay in the central part of Posyet Bay and is protected from the sea by the Zarubina Peninsula. The total length of the berths is 650 m, and the depth at the berths currently ranges from 6.8 to 9.9 m. The port is not equipped with container cranes. The products of ferrous metallurgy enterprises and round timber, as well as Far Eastern seafood, are mainly processed here. In April 2000, an international ferry service was opened between Zarubino and the South Korean port of Sokcho.
The port of Posyet is located on the western side of Novgorodskaya Bay, 20 km west of Zarubino. The depth at the berths with a total length of 450 m is 9.5 m. Container processing is carried out at berth No. 2 using a port crane. Up to 90% of export cargo consists of coal and round timber. Since August 1999, a regular container line Posyet-Akita has been operating.
The port of Rajin can receive vessels of the 5,000-30,000 t class. The port is not equipped with specialized container cranes, and loading and unloading of containers is carried out by ordinary port cranes at the 7th pier of the 2nd berth (depth at the wall 9 m). A regular Rajin-Busan container line was opened in October 1995, and the Rajin-Niigata line has been operating since August 1999.

2) Railway network
Due to different gauges, direct rail transport cannot be carried out between China and Russia. Therefore, standard and broad gauge railway lines were built between Hunchun and Kraskino, and, in accordance with a bilateral agreement, international railway traffic officially opened on this section in December 1999. Trains began running in February 2000, but the line's capabilities are not fully utilized. Currently, transshipment of Chinese cargo onto Russian wagons and in the opposite direction is carried out at the Chinese transshipment station Hunchun with a capacity of 500,000 tons of cargo per year. There are promising plans to equip the Kamyshovaya station on the Russian side with reloading equipment.

3) Road network
Work is underway to develop a section of the highway from the ports of Zarubino and Posyet to Hunchun, China. The Russian segment of the route is partially unpaved, but in general the road on both sides of the border is in satisfactory condition and does not create problems for road transport. In this direction, there are agreements that, under certain conditions, allow Chinese cars with Chinese drivers to deliver process chips to the ports of Zarubino and Posiet. Russian trucks can reach Hunchun.
The road between Rajin and Wonjong in the DPRK, especially the unpaved Sonbong-Wonjong section (46 km), passes through the mountains and becomes difficult for container ships to navigate in bad weather.

3.4.3 Problems and challenges

The most important tasks on this route are the repair of the Rajin-Wonjon road and the installation of container cranes in Zarubino. In addition, it is necessary to as soon as possible connect the roads of Mongolia and China. It is necessary to simplify customs clearance procedures and introduce preferential treatment for transit cargo, including the abolition of customs duties.

3.5 Dalian Transport Corridor

3.5.1 Meaning

This transport corridor is the main artery for China's northeastern provinces (Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang). The corridor begins at the international trade port of Dalian, passes through Harbin, the administrative center of Heilongjiang Province, and then through Manzhouli Station to the Trans-Siberian Railway. In the future, it is also planned to organize access to Heihe.

3.5.3 Problems and challenges

The most important challenge for the development of the rail segment of the corridor is to increase road capacity and equipment, since congestion is likely to remain a pressing problem in the future. Electrification of the Dalian-Harbin section has been completed, and this will allow for a 30% increase in throughput, however, given the promising growth of cargo from Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, it will be necessary additional measures to further increase the capacity of the road.
Another problem is the fact that a significant part of the container cargo arriving at the port of Dalian is reloaded from containers into ordinary freight cars. In this regard, it is necessary to improve the container transportation system as a whole.
To activate road transport along this corridor, the speedy commissioning of the Dalian-Harbin expressway is necessary. In addition, it would be advisable to build a bridge across the Amur between Heihe and Blagoveshchensk, which would provide access to Russia for the corridor.

3.6 Transport corridor Tianjin - Mongolia

3.6.1 Meaning

The Tianjin-Mongolia transport corridor provides Mongolia with the shortest route to seaports. Main industrial and shopping centers Mongolia is located along this route. The corridor begins in the Chinese port of Tianjin and goes through Beijing to the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. The distance between the port of Tianjin and Ulaanbaatar is about 1,700 km. Further, the corridor, crossing the Russian-Mongolian border north of the capital, goes to Ulan-Ude where it connects with the Trans-Siberian Container Bridge.
The Tianjin-Mongolia route, being the most important route for transporting international goods for this country, is also used to transport goods between Europe and Asia through TSKM.

3.6.2 Current situation

2) Railway network
The basis of Mongolia's railway network is the main line running from north to south, seven branches extending from it, as well as a branch in the northeast of the country leading to the Trans-Siberian Railway. Mongolia's road network is underdeveloped, so 95.6% of freight turnover (1998) is by rail. Domestic railway lines mainly transport coal, the share of which in the total volume of cargo reaches 78%.
This route carries an international route once a week in both directions. passenger train Beijing – Ulaanbaatar – Moscow. Also, once a week a freight train from Tianjin arrives in Mongolia, which includes both container platforms and regular freight cars.
In Mongolia, as in Russia, a broad gauge track is used, therefore, when crossing the Mongolian-Chinese border, it is necessary to reload containers and cargo, and for passenger cars, replace wheel sets.

3) Road network
The volume of road transport along the Tianjin-Mongolia corridor is insignificant. Most of the roads in Mongolia are not paved. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Asia Expressway project has identified the road along the main railway line from Altanbulak on the Russian-Mongolian border to Zamyn-Ud on the Chinese border as Mongolia's top priority route. The length of the route is 1,021 km.

3.6.3 Problems and challenges

Due to the low level of development, the Mongolian transport infrastructure, both railway and road, is still unlikely to fully meet the requirements of the international transport route. The vast territory and small population will apparently determine the dominant role of railways in the country's transport sector. Therefore, the main attention should be paid to the development of railway transport in Mongolia.

3.7 Trans-China Transport Corridor (Trans-China Container Bridge - TCCM)

3.7.1 Meaning

The Trans-China transport corridor TCCM currently plays a connecting role between the countries of East Asia and the Central Asian region. In the future, this line will become an international intermodal transport route (mainly by rail) connecting Asia and Europe through the territory of Kazakhstan and China, and can seriously compete with the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The distance from Lianyungang Port to Alashankou is 4,158 km. Further through the territory of Kazakhstan, cargo can be delivered to Europe along several routes, both railway and road.

3.7.3 Problems and challenges

One of the problems of this corridor is that the volume of cross-border trade is growing at an accelerated pace and the transshipment infrastructure is being operated to the limit of its capabilities. In this regard, the task arises of increasing the throughput capacity of reloading equipment.
Secondly, information about the location of containers in China is available only at main railway departments and large stations, but it is impossible to track the movement of containers along the entire route. Cargo owners really hope to create a system for tracking the movement of containers in real time.
In addition, given that the distance from the port of Lianyungang to the Kazakh border is more than 4,000 km, it is advisable to organize several container sites along the route where customs clearance of goods will be carried out. Such a system will reduce the time it takes to clear goods when crossing the border. One of the pressing challenges for any border crossing is to reduce the cost and time of crossing the border.

3.9 Eastern Trans-Korean Transport Corridor

3.9.1 Meaning

The purpose of organizing this corridor is to ensure cargo transportation along the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula from Busan to the Rajin-Sonbong special trade and economic zone with further access through the DPRK-RF border and the Khasan region to the Trans-Siberian Container Bridge. This corridor is currently not operational for the same reason as the Western Trans-Korean Corridor: the disconnection of the railways of the two Korean states. In addition to expanding transport cargo flows between North and South, the development of this corridor will provide a land route connecting the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Far East, and access to the Trans-Siberian Railway will provide additional features transportation of goods from East Asia to Europe.

3.9.3 Problems and challenges

The main task, as in the case of the Western Trans-Korean transport corridor, is the speedy completion of work to connect the railways of the two Korean states. At the same time, connecting road networks also seems to be a very important task. In addition, there may be a need to modernize and develop the internal road and railway infrastructure of the DPRK. The railway network in the east of South Korea also requires further development.
The DPRK and Russia are connected only by railway, but the cargo flow on this line is last years sharply decreased due to a drop in Russian cargo volumes. The road from the border to Chongjin is a single track with a combined track (four-rail track). In order to fully use the capabilities of this corridor connecting the Republic of Korea, the DPRK and Russia, transshipment equipment must be installed on the Russian-North Korean border.
Regarding the organizational support for the functioning of the corridor as an international one, interested countries, including the Republic of Kazakhstan, the DPRK, the PRC and Russia, must enter into transport agreements on the cost of transportation, calculation of income, and transportation insurance. It is also necessary to ensure coordination in organizing the movement of international trains, as well as guarantees of transportation safety.

Proposed development projects

The difference in the level of development of the nine NEA transport corridors is significant - from corridors that are actually in use at present to corridors that are at the stage of conceptual development. Depending on the level of development and activity of use, corridors can be divided into three categories: corridors at the formation stage, at the popularization stage and at the stage of increased use. “Establishment stage” implies that the corridor is in its initial stages of development, and the main emphasis is on creating transport infrastructure. The corridor at the “popularization stage” already has the necessary transport infrastructure, and the main task is to attract cargo owners who need the services of international carriers. “Activation phase” refers to the stage of development when efforts are directed toward further expanding the use of an existing corridor and increasing the volume of cargo transported. In accordance with this classification, NEA transport corridors can be divided into groups as follows:
Formation stage: (3) Suifenhe Corridor, (4) Tumangan Corridor, (8) Western Trans-Korean Corridor, (9) Eastern Trans-Korean Corridor;
Popularization stage: (1) Vanino-Taishet Corridor, (6) Tianjin-Mongolia Corridor;
Activation stage: (2) TSKM Corridor, (5) Dalian Corridor, (7) TCKM Corridor.

Projects aimed at creating a transport network that would allow the transportation of goods across the entire region as freely as within one country include measures to increase the capacity of transshipment equipment at border stations, expanding mutual access zones for foreign trucks from neighboring countries, simplifying procedures, related to border crossings and the implementation of the TIR (Transport International Routiers) system.

Projects in the field of improving and expanding the container transportation system cover the development of container processing equipment in ports, the creation and improvement of land container centers, as well as the introduction of a container movement tracking system.

Projects aimed at providing durable and effective connections regional transport system with transport networks outside Northeast Asia, involve expanding the geography of shipping lines and increasing the efficiency of the intermodal transport system in the European direction.

Conclusion. Towards the implementation of the Concept of NEA transport corridors.

Development should be carried out in two directions: the development of transport infrastructure and resolving issues of organizing the transport process. Infrastructure development requires significant financial resources and the provision of funding sources. Here, in addition to the efforts of individual countries, support from international financial institutions. For solutions organizational issues Coordination of efforts is necessary, as well as expansion of multilateral and bilateral contacts. This process may take a long time. However, solving organizational issues, which does not require large-scale capital investments compared to solving technical issues, can become effective tool stimulating the development and improvement of transport infrastructure.

It is expected that the successful development of the transport corridor system will lead to a significant increase in the volume of goods and flows of people crossing borders, as well as the expansion international trade due to full use factors of geographical proximity and economic complementarity. Moreover, the existence and sustainable operation of international routes will help attract companies and investments both local and from outside the region. In order to accelerate economic development and revitalize international cooperation in the region it is necessary to improve and expand NEA transport corridors to the level of trade and economic corridors that would closely link the development of transport infrastructure with production, trade and other development processes.