The paper was presented at the Polish Logistics Congress “Logistics 2004 – Logistics networks in an integrated European market”. Poznań, May 19-21, 2004.
Transport is a very important element of international supply chains. The expected increase in freight flows is causing growing interest in rail transport. Following the enlargement of the European Union, the elimination of existing barriers has become particularly important. One of these is the difference in railway track gauges. Currently, at the borders of railway networks, transshipment or pumping of goods is performed. Another possibility is the exchange of wagon bogies or wheelsets. All these methods create a risk of cargo damage, cause losses, and are time-consuming and costly.
One of the technical solutions that allows for the elimination of the above problems is the Polish automatic gauge change system SUW 2000. It allows for smooth travel between railway networks with different track gauges found in Europe. Its application will allow for increasing the safety of international supply chains.
Since May 1, 2004, the European Union has consisted of 25 countries. Work carried out before the union’s enlargement and continued today aims, among other things, to integrate the market. This will allow for overcoming currently existing barriers. Many of them concern the functioning of international supply chains that are part of European logistics networks. There is a noted need for greater use of rail transport.
Among the main assumptions of European transport policy, one can mention:
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increasing infrastructure capacity to meet the goals of increased traffic,
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ensuring a high level of safety for the railway network,
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implementing directives on interoperability aimed at ensuring the harmonization of technical regulations and usage by all elements of high-speed and conventional railway networks.
One of the fundamental barriers occurring in international rail transport is the historically formed differences in track gauges. So far, the barrier of the contact of railway lines with different gauges is overcome by exchanging wagon bogies or wheelsets, as well as by transshipment and pumping of transported products and materials. In the case of dangerous goods, this poses a particular threat to the environment. Additional operations require the construction and maintenance of dry ports with transshipment and storage facilities.
Railway track gauge
In Europe, there are three track gauges: 1435, 1520, and 1668 mm. Most European countries have tracks with a gauge of 1435 mm. Broad tracks with a gauge of 1520 mm are used by the railways of: Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. Tracks with a gauge of 1668 mm are operated by the railways of Spain and Portugal. Meanwhile, in Asia, trains run on broad gauge (1520 mm) except for China and Korea, which have standard gauge lines (1435 mm). Within the European Union, the borders of railway networks run along the borders of:
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France with Spain,
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Poland with Lithuania,
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Sweden with Finland.
Scandinavian countries do not have a direct rail connection with other union countries. Meanwhile, the Baltic countries have contact with the 1435 mm network only at the Mockava border station (Lithuania) and further via a single track to the Polish border station of Trakiszki. This connection may take on particular importance in the near future.
Railway track gauges in European Union countries are illustrated in Figure 1.
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