Mega-Project in Záhony Gets Underway11 June 2009
A complex economic and infrastructure development programme will be implemented in Záhony by the end of 2011 with the help of an EU investment worth nearly 26.3 billion HUF.
This programme provides the opportunity to create international goods distribution centres by granting funding to the small and medium enterprises in an area of the country still classified as a disadvantaged region and ensuring training opportunities. The assistance contract for the major railway development project and the priority road development project was signed in the settlement located in the north-eastern corner of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County. Mr Peter Hónig Minister for Transport, Telecommunication and Energy and Mr Tamás Suchman Government Commissioner attended this event.
Záhony’s geographical location and infrastructure potentials are also unique in a European context. There are railway connections to Ukraine and Russia from the region and the basic infrastructure is in place for transferring goods shipped via the Ukrainian and Russian railway network, where the width of the track is wider in relation to the track network in Hungary – and naturally that of the European Union standard as well – to the narrower European track width railway network. The technical standard of the existing railway infrastructure in the region has deteriorated; speed and axle load limits impede circulation of commodities at present. Since Záhony lies on one of the main European transport corridors and is a part of Corridor No 5, these developments are just as important for the entire European Union.
According to experts, by renewing the existing railway infrastructure in the Záhony region that connects to the Ukrainian network, the overall circulation of commodities may increase from its current volume of 5.3 million tonnes to 8.5 million tonnes at an annual level, whilst circulation of commodities transported by rail may increase from the current shipment of 11,000 wagon loads to 215,000 wagon loads. Handling an amount of goods of this volume and transferring goods from one train to another, from trains to roads and vice versa, and naturally preferably processing as greater a prpportion of these as possible implies a huge task for enterprises that have already settled in the region, as well as logistics enterprises to settle in the region in the near future. The total cost of renewal works amounts to 19.4 billion HUF. The development will be completed by the end of 2010.
Beyond railway infrastructure developments, road transport conditions will also be improved, which is why funding amounting to nearly 6.9 billion HUF has been granted by the New Hungary Development Plan for building new roads in the micro-region. Phase 1 of the road linking Tiszabezdéd and Záhony will be constructed within the framework of this development; moreover, the bypass road around Fenyeslitke and Komoró will be completed and the road section between Tiszabezdéd and Komoró will also be renewed. These investments are expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
Infrastructure developments in the region provide the opportunity to create international goods distribution centres and locally process raw materials and semi-finished products shipped from the East. It will consequently be possible to transport commodities and products to the EU and CIS without having to transfer these.
Labour market activity is currently very low in the 16 settlements of the special economic zone of the Záhony region; barely over half of the working-age population earns income on a regular basis. According to experts, the investment to be launched in this region will create jobs for some 1,200 unemployed individuals within a short space of time and, in overall terms, will contribute to creating or retaining 3400 jobs in the region.