”This year, Port of Galaţi completed the feasibility study for the new intermodal terminal that includes the construction of new terminal and modernization works. The total investment cost is EUR 119.12 million of which 35% come from public funds and 65% from private funds. We submitted for financing through the Connecting Europe Facility and the project was admitted, but the Commission didn’t allot us the financing. EU explained that the reason for not provide the funding is that there are not enough money for the project. Anyway, we will submit it again for the second CEF Calls.
The intermodal terminal is located 10 km from the border with the Republic of Moldova. This is a station for shunting operations and transport interconnections with an operational capacity of 300,000 TEU. The project will determine the minimisation of operating costs and will provide safety and security as stipulated in the Schengen regulations. “We are trying to implement projects to become a gateway to Europe and we want to develop the Port of Galaţi to meet the traffic needs and to optimise the service quality,”Costache said.
After project implementation, the tri-modal platform will benefit from all the necessary amenities for operating ITUs (Intermodal Transport Units) and complete 750 m long trains, a railway yard area which will serve the terminal, rail and road interconnections with Industrial Park and Free Zone, its operational capacity being estimated at 300 thousand TEU.
For the development of traffic, Port of Galaţi had some talks with Georgian Railways and there are negotiations for a new partnership in order to facilitate and develop freight transport. ”As far as I know, within this partnership, Iran is very interested, as well as Turkey, as traditional UE’s trade partner. In addition, we are in talks with Port of Duisburg for the organization of new transport line with freight volumes transported to Port of Poti and we are interested in Port of Bar too”, declared Carmen Costache, Deputy General Director – Maritime Danube Ports Administration Galati/ Vicepresident European Federation of Inland Ports, during Railway PRO Investment Summit, organized by Club Feroviar in Bucharest, on 6-7 October 2015.
Port of Galaţi is the only one EU’s port that has railway infrastructure with broad gauge and can transport freight direct to Russia and Ukraine.
Photo: Port of Galaţi
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