Internal waterways, TEN-T included in Ukraine's updated national transport model
Ukraine's National Transport Model, developed with financial support from the EU, has been updated to include the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) and Ukraine's internal waterways, as reported by S. Adnan Rahman, head of the EU project "Assistance to the Ukrainian Authorities for the Establishment of National Transport Model and Master Plan," in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
"The National Transport Model of Ukraine was completed last year (started in 2018). However, work on its expansion and improvement continues. The National Transport Model has been expanded to include the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T), Ukraine's internal waterways, and incorporates the most current data," Rahman said.
The previous version of the model, developed before the war, did not include internal waterways.
"At this stage, we have added all Ukraine's internal waterways to the model. We also included all locks, which are very important because they determine the capacity and routes for navigation. Now the model can be used to analyze flows, mainly freight, on internal waterways. What is strategically lacking is information on transportation costs," Rahman said.
He added that the developers have reached out to the Ministry of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development to request transportation cost data from companies engaged in internal water transport.
"Information on transportation costs, including for internal water transport, is essential. Without it, we cannot model how choices are made between different types of transport," the expert said.
At this stage, the project team is working on preparing the Ministry of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development for the adoption and use of the National Transport Model, as the ministry needs qualified and competent specialists to effectively maintain, update, and use the model. The plan to establish an analytical support unit within the ministry for this work is currently under development. One option being considered is the creation of such a unit within the ministry or one of its subordinate organizations, such as a state enterprise in the road transport sector or JSC Ukrzaliznytsia.
"Such an organization should have the necessary resources to hire appropriate staff to work with the model and should be interested in using the model. One of the things we have agreed on is more intensive cooperation between ministry staff and our project team. Therefore, our expert will support the ministry's specialists in working with the National Transport Model. The transition process will begin soon, and we hope to complete it by April 30, 2025," Rahman said.
It was planned that after the National Transport Model transfer, a Master Plan would be developed, but this stage has been abandoned.
"The Master Plan will not be developed because the priority now and in the coming decades will be the recovery and rebuilding of Ukraine, including its transport sector. I consider it truly important that government officials, the ministry, and stakeholders understand how this model can be used to support recovery and rebuilding," the expert said.
He said that the National Transport Model could help Ukraine create a quality program of recovery and rebuilding projects to transform the transport sector and attract funding and investment for these projects.
The project "Assistance to the Ukrainian Authorities for the Establishment of National Transport Model and Master Plan" is being implemented with EU financial support, with allocated assistance of EUR 4.7 million, with the implementation period from July 2, 2018, to October 31, 2024.
The development of the National Transport Model as a tool to support investment planning in Ukraine's transport sector began in 2018.