OREANDA-NEWS. On the 26th May, Vilnius and Kaunas Intermodal Terminals (VIT and KIT) have been officially opened. The operations in the intermodal terminals will give competitive advantage to the Lithuanian transport and logistics system within the international market, create new jobs and reduce roadway usage.

"I would like to express the gratitude to the people who appreciated the importance of the Terminals for the entire transport sector. Both projects were part of the strategy for Lithuanian transport system development. Vilnius region generates the major proportion of the GDP in Lithuania. That said, Kaunas will also play a role of vital importance after the European track gauge has been laid leading to the Kaunas Intermodal Terminal": said Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevi?ius who attended the opening ceremony.

The Minister of Transport reiterated the above and pointed out the intermodal terminals had the infrastructure convenient for the businesses.   

"Europe has around 300 terminals of a similar kind. Lithuania will finally have a few of them as well. I am pleased with the excellent results achieved by the Lithuanian Railways and with the great contractors who made the project, planned for years, come true. I would like to invite business people to establish their businesses here and enjoy the convenience provided under one roof", said the Minister of Transport Rimantas Sinkevi?ius.

VIT is a place where container freight will be transhipped between rail and road transport modes. The technology of the Terminal will guarantee freight distribution within Vilnius region and speedy transhipment onto shuttle trains between Klaip?da port and the Eastern European as well as Asian countries. The Terminal has been built close to Vaidotai Railway Station which is crossed by regular container trains "Vikingas", "?e?tokai Express", "Saul?" and "Merkurijus".

A new container train "VIT EKSPRES" has been launched on a regular shuttle route from Klaipeda Port Container Terminal to VIT. It is planned to have the new train between Klaip?da and Vilnius running twice a week and perhaps on a more frequent basis in the future. The freight for this particular train will be arranged by the Freight Forwarding Department "LG ekspedicija" of the public limited liability company Lithuanian Railways.

"Vilnius Intermodal Terminal will have a capacity for transhipping over 100 thousand TEU containers annually. This impressive volume will be delivered from the Klaip?da Cargo Terminals on a new container train "VIT EKSPRES". Our clients will be able to leave their worries behind because "LG Ekspedicija" – a division of our company will deal with all paperwork, booking of wagons and delivery of the cargo": revealed General Manager of the public limited liability company Lithuanian Railways Stasys Dailydka.

Kaunas Intermodal Terminal is special because European standard gauge (1435 mm wide) and the current track gauge (1520 mm wide) will cross here. This will allow speedy and low-cost transhipping of freight containers delivered by rail from, for example, countries in Asia onto another track gauge and transporting them to Western Europe.

KIT has been built in the Palemonas yard next to the main Vilnius – Kaunas – Klaip?da motorway in Lithuania. Logistics companies tend to cluster around this area. Kaunas Free Economic Zone has also been established here.

The value of the Vilnius Intermodal Terminal is 31.77 mln. euro and Kaunas Intermodal Terminal - 25.4 mln. euro. Nearly 85 per cent of the amount was financed from the EU Cohesion fund. VIT and KIT terminals are the first objects of the logistics centres currently being established in Vilnius and Kaunas.