A year has passed since the launch of a modern intermodal terminal in Kutno for the central region of Poland. Handling operations in Kutno began after several months of investment work, and since September 30th of last year, the facility has been serving the development of the intermodal industry, enabling efficient distribution of containerized cargo on the North-South and West-East routes.
The launch of the Kutno Terminal was of immense importance, not only for the investor, PCC Intermodal, but for the entire transport industry in Poland. The symbolic ribbon-cutting at the facility’s gate was a sign of the beginning of major changes and set the direction for further actions towards the development of the industry.
– The choice of Kutno as a location for the container terminal was not accidental. It was decided by the city’s location in central Poland, at the intersection of major transport corridors and roads. The modern terminal facility is located directly next to the E-20 railway line, connecting Berlin with Warsaw and further on to Moscow, and near the main North-South railway line (No. 131), in the Baltic-Adriatic transport corridor, as well as near national roads and motorways. The terminal in Kutno was the first investment of this scale for PCC Intermodal S.A. – a fulfillment of the promise we made to investors during our debut, a great success not only for our company but for everyone who supports the development of the intermodal industry in our country – says Dariusz Stefański, CEO of PCC Intermodal S.A.
– Construction of the terminal began in the spring of 2010, and the implementation of the investment was originally divided into 4 stages. Currently, due to the huge volume of cargo handled in Kutno, a decision has been made to implement subsequent stages. Work will begin in 2013. The current annual handling capacity of the facility is 100,000 TEU; after the expansion is completed, we intend to double this value. Efficient handling of volumes flowing into Kutno, with increased operational parameters, will be possible, among other things, because the facility will be equipped with 2 additional 700-meter-long tracks, its operational area and storage yards will be enlarged, and in addition to the 4 handling machines currently working at the terminal, the installation of 2 gantry cranes will streamline operations – says Adam Adamek, Vice President of the Management Board of PCC Intermodal S.A.
– Practically from the first day of operation, the storage and handling capabilities of the terminal have been used almost to the maximum. The volume of handled cargo has been dynamically and – importantly – systematically increasing since the facility was launched. During the first year of operation, nearly 90,000 TEU were handled at the Kutno Terminal. On average, over a hundred container trains are handled in Kutno monthly in 2012. It is worth looking back at this occasion; the number of handlings at the terminal has increased by 300% over the last 3 years! When we were working at the temporary terminal in Krzewie in 2010, the volume handled at the end of the year amounted to less than 32,000 TEU. In 2011 – working part of the year in Krzewie and part in Kutno – we doubled the result (63,718 TEU). Today it is clear that we will close 2012 by reaching the maximum handling capacity of the terminal in its current form. The expansion of the facility will allow us to meet market challenges from 2013/2014 and handle even larger cargo flows – claims Wojciech Skrzypiński, Director of the Kutno terminal.
– The terminal in Kutno, thanks to its excellent location on the transport map of Europe, has given PCC Intermodal new opportunities to develop existing as well as new services. Already in December 2011, the first container train to the Russian capital – the PCC Moscow Express – set off from Kutno. Until the launch of the investment in Zajączkowo Tczewskie (Intermodal Container Yard), the facility in Kutno will be a key hub for containerized cargo traveling from north to south, including in particular the Baltic-Adriatic transport corridor – adds Jarosław Kubiczek, Development Director of PCC Intermodal S.A.