On January 1, 2007, after nearly 16 years, the process of liberalizing the rail freight transport (RFT) sector in the European Union was completed. Currently, any railway undertaking holding a license to perform freight transport services can provide its services in any EU member state. The only reservations concern Poland, which will be protected for another year by a transitional period for performing cabotage transport, unlike international transport, for which the entire railway network available in Poland can already be used. The opening of the EU market offers Polish carriers enormous development opportunities. On the other hand, it exposes them to significantly stronger pressure from foreign competitors than before. The aim of the article is to analyze selected elements shaping the level of competition within the sector in the years 2002-2006, present the two largest carriers outside the PKP group, identify barriers limiting the development of the sector, and attempt to assess the competitiveness of Polish carriers against foreign entities.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 3/2007.