Introduction
The experience of Western countries proves that railways can perfectly fulfill the role of a logistics operator in managing supply chains. When considering the issues of the development of the logistics services market in Poland, if the supply side is concerned, the main emphasis is usually placed on transport and forwarding companies representing the road sector. In doing so, the possibilities of PKP acting as a logistics operator are forgotten, or perhaps not even noticed.
PKP’s strategy should relate to the logistics services market. The logistics services market is not only an opportunity or a necessity for Polish railways. It is also a kind of hope – a hope for development. In view of the above, the question will be asked whether the assumptions contained in the “PKP 2015 Strategy” document create real possibilities for shaping the image of Polish railways in the freight transport market as a logistics operator, such as those boasted by DB, VBB, or SJ.
The subject matter of the paper is important and interesting from a pragmatic point of view, especially if one takes into account the process of profound transformations that PKP is currently undergoing. It is very complex, therefore, the scope of this paper will cover only selected issues.
Why rail?
Transport is a key link in logistics chains. Its cost in the structure of logistics costs is the highest and can account for up to 75%. Furthermore, the qualitative properties of transport services contribute to logistics customer service. It is also worth adding that transport processes can take up more than half of the time of material flow in total logistics activities. Decisions regarding transport, such as the choice of mode, therefore largely determine the efficiency of logistics processes.
Different types of transport are objectively characterized by varied susceptibility to their functioning within logistics processes. Road and rail transport have the largest shares in the logistics service of the market, with a clear advantage, however, of the former. This allows us to claim that these two modes of transport have the most favorable quality profiles from the point of view of logistics market service. However, it should also be noted that with the increasing importance of the time factor in the supply chain (Time Based Competition) and the natural consequence of this, i.e., the development of “just-in-time” logistics concepts, air transport is playing an increasingly important role in the logistics service of the market. According to Benjamin Franklin’s famous statement that time is money, it pays for transport users to incur higher financial outlays related to transport (air transport is the least favorable in terms of costs) just so that the cargo reaches the recipient quickly.
As already mentioned, road transport is a clear leader in the logistics service of enterprises. In Western European countries, it has about an 80% market share. Rail is the number two carrier, and there is no indication that this situation will change. Road transport is more flexible and characterized by greater accessibility, and this fits perfectly with the needs of transport users. It must also be remembered that needs are dynamic and subject to constant change. Greater responsiveness to changes in transport user preferences, as well as greater adaptability to new conditions, is observed among road carriers than among railways. The sectoral preferences of government authorities, reflected in transport policy, may also not be without significance here.
Observations of the activities of European railways allow us to claim that the rail carrier – although from the position of the second one – does not give up so easily. It fights to increase its shares in the logistics service of the market, successively developing and improving its logistics offer, focusing on its strengths. They prove that a rail carrier can successfully serve the market from the position of a logistics operator. It is necessary to see the advantages of rail transport, among which one can also find those that predispose the railway to participate in logistics systems. First of all, one should point to:
a) the accessibility of the railway network, which is determined by three elements:
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density of the railway network,
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density of railway transport points,
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layout of the railway network;
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speed of movement, which is determined not only by the train’s operating speed but also by the degree of impact of the congestion phenomenon (important from the point of view of delivery deadline guarantees),
- cost advantage in long-distance transport,
- transport safety – according to studies conducted in Germany, the number of rail accidents in relation to accidents recorded in road transport is 1:33;