1st Expert Group Meeting on

Developing Euro-Asian Transport Linkages

9 11 March 2004 Almaty, Kazakhstan

Developing Regional
Transport Networks in the
ESCAP Region:
Asian Highway and Trans-Asian
Railway
Barry Cable
Director
Transport and Tourism Division
UN ESCAP

Three Theme Areas of UNESCAP

Emerging social issues
Reducing poverty
Managing globalization
Transport
Trade
Environment
Information, communications
and space technologies

Asian Land Transport

Infrastructure Project (ALTID)
Began in 1992
Designed as an umbrella project with three
integrated components:
Asian Highway
Trans-Asian Railway
Land Transport Facilitation

Goal of the project was to establish an

integrated regional transport system to facilitate
trade and tourism in the ESCAP region.

ALTID Approach (Step-by-Step)

In-depth studies
Asian Highway: subregional studies
Trans-Asian Railway: corridor studies

Criteria for identification of networks were links

between:
capitals
industrial and agricultural centres
air, sea and river ports

container terminals & depots

Emphasis on maximising use of existing

infrastructure
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Asian Highway
Network identification (seminars, missions to
countries, studies)
Consolidation of data (AH Database)
Awareness raising activities (Public information)
Formalization of network: Intergovernmental
Agreement on the Asian Highway Network
Subregional seminars to review draft agreement
Advice from UNECE, UN Office of Legal Affairs
Continuous communication with member
governments
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Asian Highway
Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway
Network was unanimously adopted by 32 member
states in November 2003
Signing ceremony will be held at the 60th session of
the ESCAP Commission (April 26 2004)
Obligation of Contracting Parties to promote and
improve international transport through AH routes
adopt AH network
bring in conformity with AH design standards
AH Signage
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Identifying investment needs and priorities

Promote and facilitate development of the priority
sections of the Asian Highway network and related
intermodal connections
Preparation of a subregional overview of investment
needs and development priorities
Organization of a subregional seminar/workshop with
participation of donors
Review the status of current investment in the road sector
Identify the Asian Highway priority investment projects of
common national and subregional importance
Promote the development of identified priority projects
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Trans-Asian Railway
South-East Asia 12,600 km
North-east Asia 32,500 km
Central Asia and Caucasus 13,200 km
South-Asia + IR of Iran & Turkey 22,100 km

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TAR in Central Asia and Caucasus

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TAR Northern Corridor

Trans-Asian Railway Northern Corridor
To Europe

To East Asia and beyond

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TAR Northern Corridor

Steering Committee Meetings
1st SCM: Vladivostok, 3-5 June 2002
- Assessed progress in individual countries as regards
the operationalization of container block-trains

- Acknowledged the potential of Asia-Europe container

trade as an opportunity for growth
2nd SCM: Ulaanbaatar, 6-8 October 2003
- Decided on a schedule for Demonstration runs of
container block-trains along key segments of TARNC
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TAR Northern Corridor

Demonstration Runs
- Identify physical / non-physical bottlenecks
- Develop interconnectivity between railways and between
railways and other modes
- Give particular attention to capability of rail transport
to provide access to ports for landlocked countries,
- Raise awareness of freight forwarders on new services
offered by railways to develop containers landbridges
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Results Tianjin to Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar
1700 km

Day 4
04.18 a.m.

75 hrs 31 min.
Day 3

Average speed
22.4 km/h
Zamyn Uud
1000 km

02.30 a.m.
Day 2

29 hrs 12 min.

20 hrs 31 min.

05.59 a.m.

Day 1

Tianjin, 0 km

33.7 km/h

500 km
Transshipment:
Shunting + train
formation:

3 hrs. 20 min.
(3.5 min. per box)

3 hrs. 35 min.

Erenhot, 983 km

1000 km
Customs:

1,691 km

1500 km

2000 km

China,

3 hrs. 00 min.

Mongolia,

4 hrs. 50 min.
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For more information visit

http://www.unescap.org/ttd
Thank you for your attention
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