Inland Container Terminals in the Function of the Northern Adriatic Ports Enhanced Operation

Continuous growth in the Northern Adriatic ports container traffic has caused a high utilization rate of the existing loading/unloading and storage capacities. In order to relieve pressure in ports and avoid traffic congestion and overcrowding which are already occurring, a possible solution is imposed by the construction of a new inland container terminal in their catchment background. This would meet the need for additional storage areas, speed up the flow of containers and ensure sustainable development of the Northern Adriatic container ports. In this paper, a proposition is presented for development of an inland container terminal in Kotoriba as a transit logistics centre for the ports of Rijeka, Trieste and Koper. Using the concept of their transport interlinkage and business policy pursuing their common appearance on the market, unlimited possibilities will be provided for the development of the Northern Adriatic supply chain toward the markets of the Central and Eastern Europe