Trans-Asian rail terminal to be located in Slawkow

Infrastructure Minister Marek Pol officially told journalists that the logis tics center of trans-Asian rail shipments will be located in Southern Poland in Slawkow, and not in Bohumin in the Czech Republic. Containers from the Fa r-East would be loaded on trains in North and South Korea and then move dire ctly to the Trans-siberian railroad. According to Russian estimates, this wo uld mean that cargo could arrive in Western Europe from Asia in half the tim e that oceanic routes take. The Polish embassy in Moscow had earlier said th at the Russians would be willing to transport 600,000 containers per year, a s compared to the 50,000 they presently move on the railroad line. It is sti ll unknown whether the Russians will find companies willing to ship the carg o, as given the necessary investments it could prove unprofitable. "I think that already next year we will be able to discuss final plans for the termin al. I make no secret of the fact that we want to supervise the investment pr ocess," explained Pol. The terminal will cost around $200 million and constr uction would take up to five years. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 19) M.M.