The mass of cargo transported by rail in intermodal transport in Q3 2023 reached almost 6.2 million tonnes, with the transport performance amounting to nearly 2.2 billion tonne-kilometres. The transport results for Q3 2023 are significantly better than in Q2 2023, however, compared to Q3 2022, the mass of cargo fell by 8.6% and transport performance by 4.5%. In Q3 2023, almost 6.2 million tonnes were transported, while in the third quarter of last year, over 6.7 million tonnes of cargo were transported in intermodal transport. This means a year-on-year decrease of almost 0.6 million tonnes (-8.6%). The transport performance achieved in Q3 2023 was nearly 2.2 billion tonne-kilometres. Compared to nearly 2.3 billion tonne-kilometres in Q3 2022, this is a decrease of 0.1 billion tonne-kilometres (-4.5%). The results of Q3 2023 are at the same time significantly better than those achieved in Q2 2023 – the mass of goods increased by 0.4 million tonnes (+6.5%) and transport performance by 0.1 billion tonne-kilometres (+7.4%).
From July to September 2023, rail carriers transported a total of over 396 thousand intermodal units, which accounted for over 607 thousand TEU. Compared to the same period last year, their number fell by 11.2% (by 15.6% in TEU terms). – The slowdown in intermodal transport growth is still influenced by the uncertain situation beyond the eastern border, caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It is therefore important to develop new potential directions in intermodal cargo transport – comments Dr. Eng. Ignacy Góra, President of the Office of Rail Transport. In Q3 2023, rail intermodal transport was carried out by 25 licensed carriers, while in Q2 2023 there were 24 carriers.
In total, in the first three quarters of 2023, 17.7 million tonnes and 1.2 million intermodal units were transported, which amounted to 1.8 million TEU. Compared to the same period last year, this means a decrease in mass by 11.4%, in the number of units by 13.3%, and a decrease in the number of TEU by 17.8%. Such large declines require the implementation of solutions that encourage the return of goods to rail. In order to support the development of intermodal transport, the Ministry of Infrastructure, together with the Office of Rail Transport and PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A., have developed recommendations for introducing a new intermodal transport support system. They were prepared as one of the actions provided for in the document “Directions for the Development of Intermodal Transport until 2023 with a perspective until 2040”. The basic assumption of the program is to increase the intermodal discount for intermodal trains moving at high speeds. The entire document has been published on the Ministry of Infrastructure’s website.
Detailed tabular results regarding intermodal transport can be found on the new statistical portal of the Office of Rail Transport “Dane Kolejowe” available at dane.utk.gov.pl. The new service, in the Intermodal Transport tab, clearly presents current statistics on the intermodal transport market as well as archival data.
Source: UTK