As he said, "Greece's position as a logistics gateway has been of strategic importance for years and the government is strengthening the infrastructure that will enable it to become an international player".
For example, today, it is estimated that a trip from Asia, say to the
Czech Republic, via Piraeus, is about 8-9 days shorter, compared to the
same trip via Rotterdam or Hamburg.
This is due to the fact that freight rail services from Piraeus to the
major logistics centers of Central Europe are performed in about four
days, by exclusive trains, while the sea voyage from China to Piraeus is
8-9 days shorter compared to ports of Northern Europe.
In this context, the Greek Government, together with other European Member States and the European Commission, is committed to promoting a common roadmap, which includes all the necessary initiatives and support projects, such as Corridor X.
"Our country must focus on two issues," said the Deputy Minister: Interconnectivity, for which steps are already being taken, such as the installation of the European train control system, as well as the development of an integrated system of transit centers.
The location of the three transit centers
In the Attica Region and pending the final approvals from the EU,
Thriasio is going to become one of the most important modern freight
centers of combined transport and logistics in Southeastern Europe,
given the proximity to the port of Piraeus.
In addition, by June 2021, the new bidding for a second PPP at the same
location, Thriasio II, also a combined transport freight center to be
developed next to Thriasio I, is expected to begin.
In Central Macedonia, the process of developing the freight center in the former Gonou camp in Thessaloniki has begun, which is estimated to be of geostrategic importance, as it concerns not only the Greek market, but also the wider Balkan area.
As in the case of Thriasios, the project is characterized by unique advantages, such as proximity to the port of Thessaloniki (8 km) and intermodality.
Finally, the government begins the elaboration of a feasibility study for the creation of a third logistics center in the Region of Thessaly, in the existing facilities of the former sugar factory in Larissa.
