“The extension of the broad gauge railway with a terminal in the Vienna area is a unique and irretrievable opportunity for Austria as a business location,” emphasises Alexander Friesz, President of the Central Association of Forwarding & Logistics (ZV), the statements of Transport Minister Andreas Reichhardt about the broad gauge. The environmental aspect, the shift of freight transport from road to rail, was also essential, said Friesz.
The association has repeatedly demanded both a European and an Austrian strategy for the Silk Road project. A key objective is the extension of the broad gauge railway from Slovakia to Austria and the associated creation of a logistics centre – and thus a lot of potential to bring added value to the region of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland.
“If the broad gauge railway ends in Bratislava, this will inevitably lead to much more transit traffic through Austria. We therefore call on the economic areas in question to reconsider their position and to allow a more in-depth examination of the project,” said Friesz.
