2018-07-17

Intermodal potential

According to data of the Office of Rail Transport [UTK], last year in Poland almost 1.67 million TEUs were carried by intermodal transport, also reaching Polish seaports, i.e. by 230 thousand TEUs more than in 2016. This means an increase in turnover by 16.1%. At the same time, the share of intermodal in the railway market rose up to 6.12% compared with 5.77% in 2016. The performance during transport of cargoes increased too. In 2017 it was at the level of 5.4 billion tkm and was by approx. 1 billion tkm higher than in the previous year. This represents an increase by 21.8%.

Mainly containers are carried within intermodal transport operations. Their share in the total number of units at the end of 2017 amounted to 97.4%. 20’ and 40’ containers accounted for the largest number in the total number of transported containers i.e. respectively 43.8% and 47.7% of the overall number of handled containers. The share of other containers came to: 25’ – 0.6%, 30’ – 2.8%, 35’ – 0.7% and 45’ – 1.9% respectively. Semi-trailers and trailers accounted for 1.4% of units, and swap motor-car bodies – 0.8%.

Data of the Office of Rail Transport shows that, compared with 2016, the number of carriers offering such a type of services increased. In 2017 this number came to 18 in relation to 13 in the previous year. A decade ago only 6 companies were dealing with intermodal transport, and in 2012 there were 10. Traditionally PKP Cargo, with
a share in the market of 46.4% and 50.2% respectively, remains a leader on the market both in terms of carried weight and in terms of performed work. DB Cargo Polska and Lotos Kolej come next in the ranking. Taking account of carried weight, their share in the market was 17.7% and 14.2%. In terms of transport performance it was 21.1% and 12.4% respectively. A growing share of other carriers in the market is noticeable too. That is e.g.: Captrain Polska at the end of 2017 achieved 8.7% of the share in carried weight and 7.3% in transport performance, in relation to 6.7% and 6.32% in 2016. Next 2 companies: Ecco Rail and LTE Polska held shares at the level of 3.7% and 2.4% taking account of weight of cargoes and 3.8% and 2.2% in terms of transport performance. Whereas, shares of the company Freightliner in the market considerably went down, from 5.10% in 2016 in terms of weight to only 0.82% last year. With regard to transport performance last year the share amounted to 0.40% compared with 3.52% in the previous year.

Especially that it comes into the proecological policy of the European Commission which, in 2011, set out an objective that until 2030, 30% of road transport of goods at distances larger than 300 km must be transferred onto other means of transport. Until 2050 this should be more than 50%.

One of the panels of the Maritime Economy Forum Gdynia 2018 will be dedicated to logistics.

Article developed in cooperation with "Namiary na Morze i Handel" magazine.

Phot. source: Namiary na Morze i Handel magazine