China-Europe trade corridors are currently facing some significant issues concerning container rates as well as congestion along the railways. Concerning rail freight, congestion concerns the Alashankou and Khorgos border crossings between China and Kazakhstan. Moreover, some issues are starting to surface at the Małaszewicze border crossing in Poland. Rail congestion is having a serious impact…
Category: Poland
PKP Cargo eyes “untapped” semi-trailer market for business revival
Polish state-owned rail freight operator PKP Cargo is looking for ways out of its dire financial situation. The company’s new management took the drastic step of suspending nearly a third of its workforce to save money. Now, its strategy director says that the company is looking to semi-trailer transportation for new business opportunities. PKP Cargo…
Rail freight in Poland keeps decreasing
Rail freight in Poland in 2023 experienced a minor setback both in terms of volumes and performance. Compared to 2022, volumes dropped by 6.8 per cent, while tonne-kilometres performance decreased by 1.4 per cent, as the Polish Office of Rail Transport (UTK) stated. In more concrete numbers, the tonnes transported went from 248,5 to 231,6…
Rail freight in Poland keeps decreasing
Rail freight in Poland in 2023 experienced a minor setback both in terms of volumes and performance. Compared to 2022, volumes dropped by 6.8 per cent, while tonne-kilometres performance decreased by 1.4 per cent, as the Polish Office of Rail Transport (UTK) stated. In more concrete numbers, the tonnes transported went from 248,5 to 231,6…
‘Our situation is worse than I thought’, says PKP Cargo President
The Polish state-owned rail operator, PKP Cargo, might be nearing the end of its life due to years of mismanagement and the inability to adapt to a changing market. The current Acting President of the company, Marcin Wojewódka, said that the situation is worse than expected, with both volumes and share values dropping significantly and…
Belated EU notification delays Polish rail freight terminal tax exemption
An uncompleted EU procedure is delaying a tax exemption for Polish rail freight terminals. The European Union has to approve of the exemption, as EU law considers it to be state aid that may distort competition on the European single market. An amendment to Polish tax rules exempts rail freight terminals from real estate tax.…
Ukrainian Railways grows exports by 48,8%
Ukrainian Railways (UZ) has exported 30,4 million tonnes of goods between January and April 2024. This is 48,8 per cent more than during the same period last year. PKP LHS, operating between Poland and Ukraine, shows a similar trend. “In 2024, one of our priorities is to increase the volume of cargo transportation, in particular…
Twenty years of EU membership: What has it brought Polish rail freight?
Poland, alongside nine other countries, has been a member of the European Union for 20 years. EU membership brought with it many investments, which also benefited Polish rail infrastructure. The 166 billion Polish złoty (27 billion euros) in investments have transformed Polish railways, says national rail operator PKP. PKP reviewed the contribution of “huge funds”…