The joint initiative by Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia and Italy is one of the nine rail freight corridors in the EU aimed at promoting international rail transport.

On its route from Poland's Gdansk to Italy's Ravenna, the corridor traverses main industrial centres in the five countries as well as connects Baltic and Adriatic sea ports, including the port of Koper, Slovenia's sole maritime port.

Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Peter Gašperšič is convinced that the establishment and further development of the Baltic-Adriatic rail freight corridor will contribute to efforts to shift more cargo transport from road to rail.

Railway operators will start providing their services on the corridor in December. Once the first train departs, the providers will start assessing the service in order to make improvements if necessary, according to a press release from the Infrastructure Ministry.

On the occasion, Minister Gašperšič also announced plans to establish a new rail freight corridor from Austria through Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria to Turkey. A letter of intent on this was signed on 8 October.