View source for Baltic–Adriatic Corridor

{{Infobox road
|country = EUR
|type=TEN-T
|route = 1
|map = TEN-T_01.svg
|map_notes =  
|length_km = 1800
|terminus_a = {{flagicon|POL}} [[Gdańsk]]  
|junction   = 
|terminus_b ={{flagicon|ITA}} [[Ravenna]]
|countries  = {{POL}}<br>{{CZE}}<br>{{SVK}}<br>{{AUT}}<br>{{ITA}}
}}

The '''Baltic–Adriatic Corridor''' or '''Baltic–Adriatic Axis''' ({{langx|de|Baltisch-Adriatische Achse}}, {{langx|it|Corridoio Baltico-Adriatico}}) is a European initiative to create a high capacity north–south railway and road [[Transport corridor|corridor]] connecting [[Gdańsk]] on the [[Baltic Sea]] with [[Bologna]] and the [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]]. The line traverses [[Poland]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Austria]] and [[Italy]], connecting heavily industrialized areas such as [[Warsaw]] and the [[Upper Silesian Coal Basin]], [[Vienna]] and south-east Austria, and [[Northern Italy]]. It developed from the [[Trans-European Transport Networks|Trans-European Transport Network]] (TEN-T) project No. 23 of a Gdańsk-Vienna railway axis set up in 2003. Carrying 24 million tons of freight per year, the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor is considered among the most important trans-Alpine lines in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.baltic-adriatic.eu/en/baltic-adriatic-axis/corridor-1 |title=Corridor - |access-date=2012-04-26 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724031241/http://www.baltic-adriatic.eu/en/baltic-adriatic-axis/corridor-1 |archive-date=2012-07-24 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure/baltic-adriatic_en | title=Mobility and transport }}</ref>

==History==
Following an initiative by the Austrian transportation ministry in 2006,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://vbb.ktn.gv.at/210082_EN-Networks-The_Baltic_Adriatic_Axis |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081455/http://vbb.ktn.gv.at/210082_EN-Networks-The_Baltic_Adriatic_Axis |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Italy signed a Letter of Intent to expand the TEN-T railway project 23, in order to form the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor. The goals of the initiative were to eliminate bottlenecks, create intermodal linking of traffic flows and connect with other European main corridors, eliminate structural and geographical disadvantages for under-served areas (such as the southern Austrian states of [[Styria]] and [[Carinthia]]), increase the competitiveness of rail with roadway (truck) transport and to realize the market development potentials of passenger traffic along the corridor.

14 European countries signed a declaration calling for implementation of the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor between Gdańsk and Bologna in 2009. Work began in late 2008 on the first phase of the Austrian [[Koralm Railway]] between [[Graz]] and [[Klagenfurt]], including the {{convert|33|km|mi|abbr=on}} long [[Koralm Tunnel]], the largest infrastructure element of the line. It is expected to be operational by 2025. In 2012 construction of the [[Semmering Base Tunnel]] started, expected to open in 2030, bypassing the gradients of the [[Semmering Pass]].

By resolution of 19 October 2011, the Baltic Adriatic Corridor was linked with the TEN-T [[Rail Baltica]] project from Warsaw via [[Kaunas]], [[Riga]] and [[Tallinn]] to [[Helsinki]] (including the proposed [[Helsinki to Tallinn Tunnel]]). In a discussion with Member of the European Parliament Debora Serrachiani on 24 April 2012, the Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport [[Corrado Passera]] reaffirmed the Italian government's commitment to extend the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor as far as [[Ancona]], {{convert|325|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Venice.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.serracchiani.eu/2012/04/26/baltico-adriatico6/ |title=Baltico-Adriatico/6 &#124; Debora Serracchiani |access-date=2012-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414161609/http://www.serracchiani.eu/2012/04/26/baltico-adriatico6/ |archive-date=2016-04-14 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Railway lines==
*[[Gdańsk Główny railway station]] – [[Warszawa Wschodnia railway station]] ([[Polish State Railways]] [[Warsaw–Gdańsk railway|PKP rail line 9]]) 
*[[Warszawa Centralna railway station|Warszawa Centralna]] – [[Grodzisk Mazowiecki railway station|Grodzisk Mazowiecki]] ([[Warszawa Zachodnia-Katowice line|PKP rail line 1]], former [[Warsaw–Vienna railway]])
*[[Grodzisk Mazowiecki railway station|Grodzisk Mazowiecki]] – [[Zawiercie]] ([[PKP rail line 4]]) 
*[[Zawiercie]] – [[Katowice railway station|Katowice]] (PKP rail line 1)
*[[Katowice railway station|Katowice]] – [[Czechowice-Dziedzice]] (PKP rail line 139)
{|
| valign="top" |
*[[Czechowice-Dziedzice]] – [[Zebrzydowice, Silesian Voivodeship|Zebrzydowice]]/[[Petrovice u Karviné]]
*[[Petrovice u Karviné]] – [[Bohumín]] – [[Ostrava]] (former [[Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway]])
*[[Ostrava]] - [[Brno]]
*[[Brno]] - [[Wien Hauptbahnhof|Vienna]]
| valign="top" |
*[[Zwardoń]] – [[Čadca]] ([[Railways of Slovak Republic|ŽSR]] line 129) – [[Žilina railway station|Žilina]] (ŽSR line 127)
*[[Žilina railway station|Žilina]] – [[Bratislava main railway station|Bratislava]] (ŽSR line 120)
*[[Bratislava main railway station|Bratislava]] – [[Wien Hauptbahnhof|Vienna]] (ŽSR line 100/[[Austrian Federal Railways|ÖBB]] line 910)
|}
*[[Wien Hauptbahnhof|Vienna]] - [[Graz Hauptbahnhof|Graz]] ([[Southern Railway (Austria)|Southern Railway]])

==Areas served==
* [[Gdańsk Bay]] with the seaports of [[Port of Gdańsk|Gdańsk]] and [[Port of Gdynia|Gdynia]]
* [[Warsaw metropolitan area]], with connection to [[Rail Baltica]]
* [[Łódź]]
* [[Katowice-Ostrava metropolitan area]] ([[Katowice]], [[Ostrava]])
* [[Olomouc]] urban zone
* [[Brno]] metropolitan area
* [[Vienna]] metropolitan area (the city and surrounding [[Lower Austria]]), with connection to the [[Magistrale for Europe]]
* [[Bratislava]]
* [[Styria]], the city of [[Graz]], and [[Carinthia]]
* [[Trieste]] and [[Udine]] in the [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]] region
* [[Veneto]]  with ([[Venice]] and [[Padua]])
* [[Emilia-Romagna]]  with [[Bologna]] and [[Ravenna]]
* [[Marche]] ([[Ancona]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Trans-European Transport Networks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baltic-Adriatic Corridor}}
[[Category:European Union transport policy]]
[[Category:TEN-T Core Network Corridors]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Europe]]