The line traverses Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Italy, connecting heavily industrialized areas such as Warsaw and the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Vienna and south-east Austria, and Northern Italy.

Carrying 24 million tons of freight per year, the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor is considered among the most important trans-Alpine lines in Europe.

[1][2] Following an initiative by the Austrian transportation ministry in 2006,[3] Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Italy signed a Letter of Intent to expand the TEN-T railway project 23, in order to form the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor.

The goals of the initiative were to eliminate bottlenecks, create intermodal linking of traffic flows and connect with other European main corridors, eliminate structural and geographical disadvantages for under-served areas (such as the southern Austrian states of Styria and Carinthia), increase the competitiveness of rail with roadway (truck) transport and to realize the market development potentials of passenger traffic along the corridor.

In a discussion with Member of the European Parliament Debora Serrachiani on 24 April 2012, the Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Corrado Passera reaffirmed the Italian government's commitment to extend the Baltic–Adriatic Corridor as far as Ancona, 325 km (202 mi) south of Venice.