The Prerequisites for Development of LNG/CNG Filling Stations Network: The Crucial Role of Lithuania and the Baltic States in the North Sea–Baltic Sea Corridor

The energy transformation of transport infrastructure represents a significant challenge, being implemented along the TEN-T network under the introduced AFIR regulation (Regulation for the Deployment of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure). The goal of this transformation is the development of alternative fuels infrastructure deployed along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), dedicated to light-duty electric vehicles (eLDVs) and heavy-duty electric vehicles (eHDVs). The measures undertaken must be preceded by an analytical process assessing the assumptions outlined in the AFIR regulation, defining targeted actions for achieving the regulation’s objectives, and evaluating the baseline status as well as projected conditions for the years 2025, 2027, 2030, and 2035. This assessment is essential during the planning and management stages of the energy transformation process of transport infrastructure being undertaken by individual EU Member States. Meeting the targets set by AFIR for transport infrastructure necessitates the development of appropriate research tools. The approach proposed in this article offers an innovative framework for addressing the challenges of energy transformation. The initial step involves designing a model for the energy transformation of transport infrastructure, followed by the definition of indicators to assess the implementation of AFIR objectives. This paper presents a model for the energy transformation of road transport infrastructure, defines the individual elements of the model, specifies indicators for evaluating the transformation process, and conducts a research study incorporating these components. This article aims to elucidate the core aspects of the energy transformation of transport infrastructure, identify actions aligned with achieving the objectives of the AFIR regulation, and perform an evaluation of its implementation. Additionally, the research addresses the question of how the energy transformation of road transport infrastructure is unfolding in Poland. The study is based on the structure of electric vehicles (EVs) and transport infrastructure along the TEN-T network in the territory of Poland. The current level of AFIR compliance for eLDVs for the years 2025, 2027, 2030, and 2035 is approximately 175%, 96%, 37%, and 13%, respectively. In contrast, for eHDVs, the compliance level is around 20%, 0%, and 0% for the TEN-T core network, and approximately 10%, 3%, and 0% for the TEN-T comprehensive network.

In recent years, the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development of transport infrastructure have been examined mainly from an economic, ecological, and social perspective. However, an essential aspect of the sustainability of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) land infrastructure is also the construction and technical parameters of critical infrastructure objects. For this reason, the aim of the article is to define recommendations for the sustainability and future development of the TEN-T land infrastructure. For this purpose, the article presents the procedure for defining and modelling typical transport situations using the TEN-T land infrastructure and the procedure for identifying critical infrastructure objects of the TEN-T land infrastructure. Attention is also paid to the digitalization of critical infrastructure objects, which categorizes infrastructure according to its suitability for excessive and oversized transport using map data. The main output of the article are recommendations for the sustainability and future development of the TEN-T land infrastructure. These recommendations are based on the systematic development of TEN-T in four basic layers, namely legislative, capatitive, construction-technical, and technological. These recommendations are intended primarily for the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, but also for transport infrastructure operators, i.e., Road and Motorway Directorate and Railway Infrastructure Administration.

The chapter of the monograph " Project management of Ukraine's integration into the Trans-European transport network" is devoted to a comprehensive study of the management aspects of the integration of Ukrainian railways into the international transport infrastructure. It consists of three parts that analyze in detail the planning, implementation and specifics of management practices in the context of high-speed railways and integration projects. The first part, "Planning of high-speed railway projects – global experience and Ukrainian perspectives", focuses on the global experience of planning and implementation of high-speed railway projects, in particular on examples from Europe, Asia and other regions. It analyzes various management models, technological innovations and economic aspects that contribute to the successful implementation of such projects. Special attention is paid to the adaptation of world practices to Ukrainian conditions, taking into account the specifics of the national infrastructure, economic and political factors. The second part, "The project of the integration of Ukrainian railways into the Trans-European transport network (TEN-T) on the example of the development of the Lviv railway node", considers a specific case of the integration of Ukrainian railways into the Trans-European transport network. The stages of project implementation are described on the example of the Lviv railway node, including technical, organizational and financial aspects. An important role is played by the analysis of problems and achievements, as well as the impact of the project on the development of regional infrastructure and the economy. The third part, "Peculiarities of the practical implementation of system-level project management in railway transport of Ukraine", focuses on the specifics of managing large projects in the railway transport system of Ukraine, using the example of the SAIRS-UZ project. It examines the practical aspects of management processes, including planning, implementation and monitoring of projects at the system level. Examples of successful and problematic projects illustrating the opportunities and challenges of the management process in the context of Ukrainian railway transport are considered separately. The chapter of the monograph is addressed to teachers, researchers, graduate students, students, as well as practitioners in the field of project management, transport engineering and international integration. It offers in-depth analysis and practical recommendations to improve management practices in the field of rail transport and the integration of national infrastructure into international transport networks.

A transportation infrastructure maintenance management system (TIMMS) for a small urban city is developed. Uintah, Utah, year 2005 population 2,000, is studied. As of Fall 2001, this suburb of the Salt Lake City–Ogden urban area featured 12 km of paved roads, 133 traffic signs, 18 street lights, pavement markings, and other transportation infrastructure. A part-time city engineer was responsible for maintaining the transportation and other infrastructure. A formal TIMMS was not in place. A TIMMS emphasizing preventive maintenance on all infrastructure, along with corrective maintenance on all pavements, was estimated to require about 79% of the city engineer’s time, at an annual cost of about $88,000, or $7,330∕km of road (2002$). About 75% of the expenses would be devoted to pavement preservation. The cost would exceed the city’s estimated transport maintenance budget ($55,775) by about 58%, while the time required of the engineer might exceed that available. A simple linear programming TIMMS formulation...

Transport infrastructure in the Baltic States post-EU succession

High temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) are a promising technology to power heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) as they can be operated with cheaper hydrogen due to the high operating temperature and need less heat exchangers compared to low temperature (LT-)PEMFCs because of the larger temperature gradient to the environment. Recently, new materials such as ion-pair based membranes have been developed to overcome phosphoric acid leaching that is limiting the lifetime of state-of-the-art phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole based membranes [1, 2]. Whereas for LT-PEMFCs many accelerated stress tests (ASTs) are available that help investigate the durability of new materials on an efficient timescale, standardized tests are widely missing for HT-PEMFCs. Here we present an AST protocol mimicking real life HT-PEMFCs operation [3]. This AST was generated with a multi-layered modeling framework that evaluated the performance of an HDV operated by an HT-PEMFC, incorporating realistic drive cycle data from the Trans-European Transport Network and. In this study, the developed AST is evaluated by performing 100 h ASTs of state-of-the-art HT-PEMFC materials in commercially relevant operating conditions.The presented AST protocol aims to support the scientific community and industry in establishing standardized testing procedures to facilitate the collaboration and development of new materials for HT-PEMFCs in HDV applications.Acknowledgement:This work was supported by the “Horizon Europe” program of the European Union under project MEAsureD (grant agreement No. 101101420).

About 70% of the roads in low-income settlements are unpaved and close (≤15m) to residents, thus a major source of ambientand indoor PM10 concentrations. International studies have suggested that decreasing vehicle speed and managing vehicle type onpaved or unpaved roads can reduce vehicle dust emissions. These mitigation strategies should be examined before being adoptedand gazetted into South African air quality management plans. This study aimed to characterise roads and traffic, emphasisingdetermining the impact of vehicle type on PM10 emissions. GIS was used to determine the proportion of paved and unpaved roads. Atraffic counter was used to monitor vehicles and to determine traffic composition, diurnal cycles, and average speed per road type.Field campaigns (summer; 6 days; 15 hrs per day) were carried out in Bokamoso to monitor PM10 concentration usinga TSI DustTrak DRX® real-time optical aerosol counter. The Box Model method quantifies vehicle PM10 emission factors for heavy-duty, medium-duty, and motor vehicles. About 0.88 km of road within Bokamoso is paved with a daily traffic volume of >2000, and 3.6 km is unpaved with >250 daily traffic volume. Paved road heavy-duty vehicle non-exhaust PM10 emissions reported a positive medium to strong coefficient of determination to vehicle speed increase with a coefficient of determination of 0.59. Even though there is a positive coefficient of determination between heavy-duty vehicle non-exhaust PM10 emission factors and speed on unpaved roads, it is weak (0.2) due to low and less variable vehicle speed. Motor vehicle paved and unpaved road non-exhaust emission factors showed no significant coefficient of determination with increased vehicle speed. Paved road non-exhaust emission factors were not significantly variable with vehicle type. They ranged between an average of 0.15-0.18 g/km/h, with motor vehicles reporting an average of 0.18 g/km/h while heavy-duty vehicles reported an average of 0.15 g/km/h. On the contrary, unpaved road non-exhaust traffic PM10 emissions ranged between 0.16-0.3 g/km/h. The emission factors presented may be used to model vehicle traffic emissions, improve on-road vehicle dust emissions impact assessment and as a guide when deciding on local applicable road dust mitigation strategies

Electromobility is a key element of efforts to reduce transport emissions at points where transport tasks are carried out (e.g., along roads, in urban areas). At the same time, the implementation of electromobility, as a whole, encompasses the movement of people and cargo using electric vehicles (EVs), is strongly dependent on the deployment of EV charging points, which are part of the alternative fuel infrastructure. At the current stage of electromobility development, the process of deploying alternative fuel infrastructure along the TEN-T (Trans-European transport network) is underway, a process mandated by the AFIR (Regulation for the Deployment of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure). The AFIR regulation assumes the construction of infrastructure adapted to serve low- and zero-emission vehicles along the TEN-T network. The elements of the infrastructure under construction include a recharging pool, a recharging station, a recharging point for electric vehicles (EVs), and hydrogen refueling stations for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). It should be noted that infrastructure elements must be adapted to support light-duty electric vehicles (eLDVs) and heavy-duty electric vehicles (eHDVs). This approach expands the possibilities of using electric vehicles in passenger and freight transport within the TEN-T network. The aim of this article is to estimate the impact of electric vehicle charging points on electromobility in a selected area. During the research phase, spatial interpolation of electric vehicle charging points was conducted using GIS tools. The spatial interpolation of electric vehicle charging points presented in the article represents an innovative approach at the stage of analysis and development of alternative fuel infrastructure along the TEN-T network.

The trans-European transport network has different effects at macro regional mezzo-regional and micro-regional level, and its effectiveness rises with the lower regional levels. Possible approaches to the trans-European transport network impact and effect survey and policy options have been pointed out. The importance of increased accessibility and mobility for regional expansion and for a more balanced and polycentric system of city networks has been underlined. Changes in the spatial organization utilization and structure of cities, as well as in social benefits and losses subsequent to impacts of trans-European transport corridor "X" section Belgrade-Nis have been analyzed. The new trans-European or major transport infrastructure does not per se create regional and urban system network development, although it can affect the conditions for the processes that create growth and development. The effects can be increased by co-ordination of measures of regional, spatial and urban policy, land use transport, environmental and other policies. The necessary measure is the introduction of spatial impact assessment as sartorial policy instrument for the large transport infrastructure plans and projects.

The article explores the current state and prospects for the development of Ukraine's logistics infrastructure, focusing on its key components, challenges, and strategic directions for transformation under modern challenges such as war and economic instability. The primary goal of the study is to identify the priorities and strategic directions for the development of Ukraine’s logistics infrastructure to enhance its competitiveness and integration into global supply chains. The research employs a systematic approach, which includes analyzing the current state of logistics infrastructure and applying strategic planning methods to determine key development priorities. The analysis is based on the SWOT methodology, enabling the assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for Ukraine’s logistics system. The article identifies three key strategic vectors for the development of the logistics sector: fostering economic growth by strengthening the domestic market, expanding the logistics services market, and realizing the country's transit potential. Particular attention is given to measures such as containerization of freight transport, integration of Ukraine’s railway network into the European system, development of multimodal transport hubs, modernization of internal infrastructure, and adaptation of logistics processes to the standards of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The results obtained can be applied in the formation of a national strategy for the development of Ukraine’s transport and logistics infrastructure, as well as in the activities of enterprises engaged in international transportation and logistics services. The implementation of the proposed measures will contribute to Ukraine's integration into international supply chains, optimization of logistics costs, improvement of trade operations efficiency, and unlocking the country's transit potential. The proposed approach ensures a balance between immediate solutions and long-term infrastructure initiatives, which are essential for the stable development of Ukraine’s logistics system.

Integrated urban transport infrastructure development: The role of digital social geo-communication in Hamburg's TEN-T improvement

La Península Ibérica en el transporte masivo de mercancías entre Europa y África : futuras autopistas del mar

With the upcoming implementation of the amendment to Regulation (EU) 2019/631 of the European Parliament and of the Council, from 2035 there will be a ban on the registration of new vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) in the Member States of the European Union (EU). Consequently, changes in the transportation sector, resulting from the increasing use of electric vehicles, appear to be inevitable. According to the adopted legal acts, the European Union Member States will be obliged to develop, among others, a charging infrastructure and access to public charging stations for electric vehicles. As a result, there will be a need to ensure a significant increase in the power and the number of charging stations and to determine their appropriate location. The article presents the challenges faced by charging station operators and difficulties related to the further development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Poland. The still poorly developed public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, especially in service areas located along the main communication routes, remains the main obstacle to the development of electromobility. In the context of legal, financial, technological, and organizational challenges, the problem of the proper distribution of electric vehicle charging stations along the main communication routes is therefore of particular importance. The aim of the article is to present a new, proprietary method for determining the location of electric vehicle charging stations in Poland within the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which considers objective location factors: adherence to AFIR requirements, the specificity of the Polish power system and existing parking infrastructure. As a result of using the developed method, a list of 188 recommended locations for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations in Poland along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) was created. It has been shown in this way that the use of the presented method enables the suitable determination of the location of electric vehicle charging stations along transport routes, considering legal, financial, and technological requirements, which will significantly facilitate the operation of zero-emission transport.

TEN-T corridors – Stairway to heaven or highway to hell?

Transport infrastructure investment is a catalyst for enhanced competitiveness and economic growth through an overall reduction in travel times and costs. These efficiency gains are among the goals of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) program, one of the major European Union infrastructure policy packages. This study evaluated the benefits of TEN-T with respect to increased accessibility for the population that it encompassed and by using a detailed and up-to-date representation of the entire European road network. A routing algorithm that could efficiently exploit the high detail of the road network was used. By considering various impedance functions in outreach opportunities, the proposed methodology compared, for all major European urban agglomerations considered (695 in total), two measures of accessibility: one baseline measure that considered the TEN-T network as implemented in 2014 and one scenario measure that considered that the whole TEN-T network was completed. The proposed methodology addressed self-accessibility by considering a weighted travel time of the entire road network within each urban agglomeration under study. The results show where the major benefits (accessibility gains) are expected to occur following the completion of the TEN-T policy. In general, the main positive effects are to appear in European areas that are lagging behind in infrastructure investment (Eastern Europe) and in their neighboring counterparts (Central Europe). The presented quantitative estimates may be useful for an eventual review of the focus of and priority for the not-yet-implemented part of TEN-T policy.