The countries around the Black Sea, characterized as members of the Wider Black Sea Area, although they are part of different geographical regions or structures, are joined together by the common interests related to the importance of this area in the commercial transit between Europe and Asia. Politically, they are located at the junction between the two fundamental structures of Europe and Asia: the European Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Even though there are differences when it comes to the standard 1.435 mm gauge in Eastern Europe and the 1.520 mm gauge in most countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia, two regions that make up the Wider Black Sea Area, they are, however, very important and they should be considered, because they raise many obstacles in the way of interoperability; they work together to establish special routes designed to increase freight traffic, thus contributing to the economic growth of the area. The economic growth is also enhanced by the location of these regions near the Black Sea, an element which generates numerous economic projects.
New political strategies aim at a Eurasian platform every day more connected by rail freight transport. Therefore, either we are taking about the Trans-Siberian Network, the Trans-Asian Network, the North-South Corridor (Russia-Iran and then to India), Rail Baltica, TRACECA or the recently launched freight routes from Germany to Russia and China, these are only few of the attempts to revive and at the same time strengthen the position of long-distance rail freight transport with the purpose of emphasising its advantages compared to maritime transport from the point of view of a much more reduced travel time.
Already, several countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus have begun to share a railway network similar to the European TEN-T, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Russia (which already had a very vast railway network, but consolidates their strategic position in the Eurasian platform through massive investments in railway and intermodal transport) support more and more the development of rail freight transport. Ports which have a railway network benefit from increasing awareness and promotion.
Many governments, from both Europe and the Eurasian platform, are currently trying to encourage shippers to use trains more often because of the environmental benefits, although the main disadvantage of rail freight is its lack of flexibility, but also the presence of physical and non-physical barriers which have prevented the railway traffic of freight along international corridors. Practices such as containerization aim at minimizing these costs. The main goal of creating rail freight dedicated routes in the Eurasian platform is to eliminate barriers, at least administrative obstacles, by underlining the advantages of railway routes against maritime long-distance routes.
Once finalized, the North-South Corridor will be another example to support long-distance rail routes as it will significantly reduce the time goods spend on the road from the present 45-60 days to up to 25-30 days.
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