A look at transport & logistics in Poland

Poland has plenty going for it when it comes to transport and logistics. An advantageous Central European location, growing GDP and resolute economy make it an ideal market for transportation professionals. 

Breaking down modal transport splits in Poland

Transport & logistics is a $56.9 billion industry in Poland. Not only does this make it the biggest market in Central and Eastern Europe, Poland’s transportation sector is the seventh largest in the EU.

Data from 2015, the most up-to-date statistics available at the time of writing, showed Polish and international companies working in the country carried 1.8 billion tons of cargo across multiple transport modes that year.

Poland shows some interesting divisions in its transportation mix.

Trucking and road transport claims the lion’s share of freight traffic, with other modes had much smaller cargo market shares in comparison with other developed nations.

The Polish transport and logistics industry, split by transport mode, is composed thusly:
 

• Road = 75.19%
• Railway = 14.32%
• Sea = 3.90%
• Pipeline = 6.32%
• Inland waterway = 0.22%
• Air = 0.04%

Road transport dominates Polish transport & logistics

Road transport is very much the king in Poland. Statistics from Poland’s Central Statistical Office revealed that road transport operators carried 1.5 billion tons of cargo across 2015. Poland is outfitted with over 3,000km of roads, including 1553.2km of motorways, and has uninhibited connections to international roadways. The Motorway of Freedom (A2) links Warsaw with Germany, for example, meaning large volumes of freight can travel freely across the country.

Rail freight tends to offer cheaper rates than trucking in Poland. Despite this, road cargoes still massively outweigh railway freight volumes as seen above. Total tonnage came to 224.3 million in 2015, which was actually a drop compared with 2014’s volumes of 227.8 million.

However, Polish rail freight could enjoy a major renaissance in the near future. Domestic firms PKP Cargo and CTL Logistics are looking to expand their international operations, for example. Moreover, the EU’s Fourth Railway Package proposes all EU member states must open their railways to their fellow Union members – meaning lots more cargo could be travelling on Polish tracks very soon.

Poland’s two major ports are Szczecin and Gdansk, both located on the Baltic coast. Cargo volumes at these two facilities rose in 2016, however, so the maritime trade could very well gain more importance in the coming years. Gdansk posted record container volumes in 2016, hitting 37.3 million tons. Similarly, Szczecin’s cargo traffic rose 4.1%, reaching a total of 24 million tons.
 

Multi-modal development underway in Poland

Poland is keen to shave $700 million in transport costs by developing inter-modal transport links. This is vital, given two major transport corridors cross the country: North-South (Baltic-Adriatic leg) and the East-West link. 

Along the Baltic-Adriatic route, which starts in Gdynia on Poland’s northern coast, a spate of rail upgrades is underway. Included in this programme are track enhancements and construction of key trunk lines.

Poznan Franowo, one of the largest intermodal terminals in Poland, was opened at the end of 2013. The terminal handles containerised cargo carried by combined transport, in this case rail and road. Franowo’s annual capacity is around 26,000 tons a year.

Poland’s biggest intermodal terminal is Małaszewicze, which handles 40,000 TEUs annually. Established in 1975, the terminal lies on the main transit route from the EU to Russia, which explains its transhipment capacity. At the moment the terminal accepts not only domestic shipments but also those from Germany and China.
 

Discover more on Polish transport & logitstics at TransPoland Translogistica

Poland’s transport and logistics sector is keen to develop its intermodal, rail and maritime trade operations. To uncover the opportunities this holds for foreign service providers, you need to be at TransPoland Translogistica 2017.

Taking into account current sector trends and market expectations, 2017’s show has a particular focus on intermodal transport, examining the opportunities for cooperation among different Polish transport sectors. TransPoland offers visitors and participants the opportunity to expand their know-how and to meet numerous potential business partners.

Interested? Get in touch today to learn more about the show and to find out how you can take part.

 

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