Port-hub in the transport system of the south of Primorsky Krai

Abstract

The study focuses on the transport and logistics system of southern Primorsky Krai, which integrates seaports, railway and road approaches, and border checkpoints with China and North Korea. The purpose of the paper is to assess how the formation of a port hub may affect cargo flow redistribution, infrastructure utilization, and bottlenecks within this system. The methodological framework is based on scenario modeling using a digital model of the southern part of Primorye’s transport and logistics system developed on the basis of the transport-economic balance approach. Two scenarios through 2035 are compared: a business-as-usual scenario and a scenario involving the creation of a port hub together with related transport and border infrastructure. The results show that under the business-as-usual scenario, several key facilities remain overloaded, including the Makhalino railway border crossing, the Ports of Vladivostok and Zarubino, the Slavyanka terminal and the railway section between the 207 km point and the Chinese border. Under the port-hub scenario, the load on the main limiting facilities decreases, while cargo flows are redistributed across the network. The paper concludes that the systemic effect is achieved not by constructing an isolated port facility, but by forming an integrated transport and logistics hub. The findings may be used to support infrastructure planning in southern Primorsky Krai.