Lithuanian Ambassador Discusses Prospects For Development Of Viking Train

Lithuania’s Ambassador to Ukraine Valdemaras Sarapinas believes that the prospects for further development of the Viking intermodal transport train, which links Ukrainian and Lithuanian ports, are great, the CFTS portal reports, citing the Interfax Ukraine news agency.

"Firstly, we see great prospects for further development of the Viking train, which links Ukrainian and Lithuanian ports. If the Viking train operates at full capacity, it will significantly speed up the transportation of goods through Ukrainian ports and the railway, and Ukraine’s budget will benefit from this," he said.

In that case, according to Sarapinas, the Lithuanian Railways could consider the possibility of providing services involving transportation and lease of its locomotives to business entities in Ukraine, which would promote competition and have a positive effect on the end-user.

"It would also be possible to increase the transport volume between Lithuania and Ukraine by transporting Turkish goods going to Europe and frozen products from Scandinavia. However, the necessary condition for this is that Ukrainian port and rail tariffs should become more flexible," he said.

According to the diplomat, Lithuanian capital is coming to Ukrainian ports and railways in the form of investments.

"The BT Invest grain terminal began operating in Mykolaiv two years ago. Another Lithuanian company, BGS Rail, is investing tens of millions of euros in restoration and lease of the Ukrainian railcar fleet, and I think it can become one of the brightest enterprises in this industry in the near future," he said.

As the CFTS portal reported earlier, the volume of container transportation by the Viking intermodal transport train increased by 21% in January 2020, compared with January 2019.

The route of the Viking intermodal transport train passes through Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania, linking a chain of container and piggyback routes in the Baltic region with a similar system in the Black, Mediterranean, and Caspian seas. The route has a total length of 1,753 kilometers.