Page 28 - Port of Hamburg Magazine - 02.19
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 ■ HAMBURG AND CHINA
SLAWKOW EUROTERMINAL HANDLES CONTAINERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
How does PKP see its role under the Belt and Road Initia- tive (BRI) in transit traffic and container transport to termi- nals in the regions?
With its PKP LHS and PKP CARGO companies, PKP Group performs both roles simultaneously. Our vision is that we should be able to provide the complete pallet of logistics, transport and complementary services.
Do you see a need to build up a hub for container services on the basis of the existing terminals?
There are clear indications that Poland should become an in- termodal logistics hub for incoming Asia freight services for Central and Western Europe. Three factors play a role here: Geographical location in the heart of Europe at the cross- ing of EU traffic corridors, constantly improving links with European countries through the modernization of rail tracks within the TEN-V network, and the potential of the Polish internal market. The answer could be the project for the CCP mega-airport, under discussion for several years, which has a chance of becoming Poland’s premier business and com- munications centre. The scheme envisages construction of several new railway lines to make CCP – Central Communi- cation Port – a tri-modal hub with massive air, road, and rail capacity.
Does PKP’s terminal and rolling stock capacity suffice to handle growing container volumes?
Expansion of the network of intermodal terminals is one of the priorities for both the Polish Infrastructure Ministry and PKP Group. We are concentrating on the construction of new terminals on the Eastern border and modernization of track in that area. Planning of new port terminals in Gdynia, Gdansk and Swinoujscie and multimodal centres along inland water- ways is proceeding in parallel.
Modernization of the infrastructure in Malaszewicze will in the near future boost capacity to over 50 train pairs per day. In addition, we have started building a new container terminal in Geniusze, near the Kuznica-Bialostocka border crossing. We are also working on a scheme for a terminal network that covers frontier crossings at Dorohusk-Jagodin, Chelm, Lublin and elsewhere. A number of other projects cover additional in- termodal terminals in the interior of the country. Preparations for two further investments near Bromberg and Lodz are also far advanced.
The publicly quoted company PKP Cargo – the second larg- est rail freight operator in the EU – is ploughing a large part of its investments into multi-system locomotives and railcars for transporting containers. Last year and this, PKP Cargo has signed contracts for purchase of 1000 flat railcars and locomo- tives for heavy freight trains.
Problems on Poland’s Eastern frontier are an incentive for rail operators to find new transport routes. How is PKP group reacting?
For a start, in discussing any problems we should be using the past tense. The phenomenon of restricted capacity in the Malaszewicze region only arose between 2016 and 2017, be- ing caused by measures to modernize infrastructure. Since
28 | Port of Hamburg Magazine | June 2019
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