The author of the article presents the main trends of change in the TSL (Transport-Forwarding-Logistics) market regarding point-based railway logistics infrastructure. He points out the necessity of further adjusting its quantity and quality to the standards of the former EU-15 countries, placing particular emphasis on the development of a network of intermodal terminals and modern transshipment points. The article analyzes examples of plans and the actual state of infrastructure of certain railway transport companies.
An analysis of the Transport-Forwarding-Logistics (TSL) market in our country indicates that for the last few years it has been characterized by relatively high growth, in the range of 12-13% per year. The pace of development of this market in the new European Union countries was largely related to economic development and the growth of trade. After a period of stabilization and a certain degree of consolidation, followed by significant growth, unfortunately, a time of significant economic slowdown has arrived. It is predicted that the period of reduced economic growth will last for several years. A number of large logistics companies have appeared on our market, and the liberalization of the rail transport market has caused fierce competition. 76 companies already hold licenses for rail freight transport; in practice, more than 40 perform them. It is becoming increasingly difficult to enter this market, and the barrier to entry is also rising. An important element of competition is the ability to offer customers comprehensive services that provide more and more added value at a relatively low price. Maintaining and developing in such a difficult market will be possible for companies that react flexibly to its needs and possess the technical means to provide the services expected by customers.
A significant feature of the coming period in the economy, related to the global market crisis, may be overproduction, which in turn will contribute to an increased demand for storage space. This situation results on the one hand, primarily from reduced demand for certain goods, and on the other hand – mainly from certain limitations of producers regarding the ability to reduce production and their uncertainty regarding further market fluctuations. The current economic crisis is temporary, that is, according to analysts’ predictions, it may last a maximum of 1 – 4 years. One should expect a return of the bull market for the global economy after this period. This is also a good time to prepare modern logistics infrastructure in those segments of the TSL market where there are shortages. Due to the high dynamics of our country’s development in the years after joining the EU, in terms of economic growth, Poland’s situation looks slightly more favorable than some highly developed countries, where 2009 may bring negative GDP indicators. In the case of Poland, a GDP growth of 2 – 3% is assumed, which, however, will mean a decrease of 2 – 3 points compared to the pre-crisis period. The economic impasse will certainly affect the decline in the volume of cargo flows passing through our country, however, the main trend of growth in the quantity of highly processed cargo (so-called High tech) will still be maintained, which should translate into a further increase in intermodal cargo in Poland. Taking into account the above conditions, investments in railway point-based logistics infrastructure should continue to be implemented. It should also be noted here that Poland has a lot to catch up on in this respect in relation to the former EU-15 countries and, in fact, apart from a few cases, our railway network does not have modern logistics facilities, which should also determine the Polish market to revitalize in this area.
Most Western and Southern European countries currently have a very well-developed network of logistics centers and intermodal terminals, connected by railway lines and roads of appropriate quality, which allows for the smooth flow of containerized cargo. Poland, wanting to become a full-fledged partner of these countries in terms of trade (with a growth trend in container cargo transport), must prioritize the adjustment of both linear and point-based railway infrastructure to the standards of Western countries, and in particular its quantity and the quality of logistics services provided.
The situation of the logistics infrastructure market, related mainly to road transport, looks slightly different. The Polish market for such warehouse space has become one of the most developed in Central and Eastern Europe in recent years. Due to its attractive location, international logistics operators are increasingly recognizing our country as a very attractive place to build their warehouses. Analysts of this market predict that this trend will continue for the next few years with a slight downward trend during the economic crisis, thus giving Poland a chance to be called the “warehouse of Europe”. Our country is an important transport hub through which four transport corridors run. An important element influencing the choice of location is also the high competitiveness of rental and warehouse service costs. Observing agglomerations and their surroundings, we see that trade and services are changing their form, large supermarkets and even entire complexes are being built, while numerous warehouses and distribution centers are being created around cities. Large warehouses and the services provided in them make these facilities function as mono-transport logistics centers. The largest concentrations of warehouse space are located around Warsaw, Poznań, Wrocław, and in Silesia. Unfortunately, most of these facilities are geared towards road transport service. Anticipating certain changes in the future, a large group of developers and logistics companies is trying to locate their facilities along main railway lines. Examples include warehouse facilities along the E-20 line before Warsaw in the vicinity of Teresin and Błonie (for example, Tesco, Metropol Park Błonie facilities). This provides the possibility of using rail transport in the event that the profitability of using this branch of transport increases as a result of a change in the state’s transport policy.
The article comes from the “Logistyka” magazine 2/2009.