One more intermodal terminal launched in Kaliningrad region of Russia
More container trains from China to Europe will run via the Kaliningrad region of Russia and without using shortsea shipping services. This has become possible due to the TLC East-West, a new intermodal terminal that has been recently opened at the Chernyakhovsk station. The new facility is committed to the Zheleznodorozhny/Skandawa border crossing, which is less loaded than the Mamonovo/Braniewo checkpoint.
On Friday, 1 October, a new intermodal terminal started to handle containers in the Kaliningrad region, the westernmost province of Russia. The facility, which is located 90 kilometres eastwards from Kaliningrad at the Chernyakhovsk station, was named the East-West transport and logistics centre or simply TLC East-West. It will be operated by the TLC East-West LLC, a joint venture between the Russian Railways and the Novik Group.
“Russian railways are like a circulatory system for the whole country, and for the Kaliningrad region, they are of particular importance. Here, at the new complex, the unique advantage of the Kaliningrad transport system is realised: the presence of the Russian and European standards of the railway track. An infrastructure is being created at this site, which allows us to integrate into the New Silk Road, into new logistics projects,” said Anton Alikhanov, the governor of the Kaliningrad region.
More transit freight
The TLC East-West was established within the ‘Transport and logistics centres’ federal project dedicated to the development of the container terminals on the Russian railway network. Being equipped with a powerful gantry crane, four dual gauge tracks (1,520 and 1,425 millimetres) for loading and unloading boxes, the new terminal has an annual handling capacity of 450,000 TEU. Its proximity to the Zheleznodorozhny (Russia)/Skandawa (Poland) border crossing will allow increasing traffic due to bypassing the congested Brest/Małaszewicze checkpoint.
Both Russian Railways (RZD) and Novik Group plan to turn the facility into the significant hub on the New Silk Road by attracting more and more container trains running from China to Europe or vice versa. Immediately after the opening ceremony, the new terminal started to handle the transit freight trains of UTLC ERA in the direction of China – Europe – China. The transhipment complex also serves the regular container trains running to and from the TLC Bely Rast terminal in the Moscow region. Moreover, the TLC East-West will be used to deliver auto parts from Europe to Avtotor, the Kaliningrad-based car assembling enterprise.