In response to the allegations made by the Association of Independent Railway Carriers regarding the alleged granting of prohibited state aid to PKP CARGO by the Government of the Republic of Poland in the form of a new system of railway infrastructure access charges, I would like to inform you that the new rates do not apply to individual participants in the freight transport market, but to the weight of specific train consists operated by these carriers. The method of forming a train consist and determining its weight depends solely on the carrier. The form of service provision preferred by private operators is the most profitable block train service. From an economic point of view, it is also in the interest of PKP CARGO to operate as many block trains as possible. However, due to market demand, the Company also carries out less profitable dispersed transport services. This results in a lower average train weight for PKP CARGO compared to other carriers. However, there is nothing to prevent private operators from changing their approach to how they form train consists in line with the new infrastructure access charges. It is untrue that PKP CARGO prevents private operators from carrying out dispersed transport services by cutting them off from the necessary point infrastructure at the Company’s disposal. Private carriers have the option to use this infrastructure at rates that take into account the maintenance costs incurred by the Company, and on the assumption that it is not being used for the company’s current operations at that time. PKP CARGO also incurs such fees when using point infrastructure at the disposal of private managers.
Press Spokesperson for PKP CARGO S.A.
Piotr Apanowicz
Mobile: +48 663 290 916
Tel: +48 (022) 47 42 938
p.apanowicz[at]pkp-cargo.pl
Piotr Apanowicz
Mobile: +48 663 290 916
Tel: +48 (022) 47 42 938
p.apanowicz[at]pkp-cargo.pl
Warsaw, February 3, 2010