Małaszewicze on the intermodal map of Euroe 26/05/23
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Małaszewicze will maintain its position on the intermodal map of Europe
Author: Adrian Izydorek 2023/05/26
Adampol, like every company in the industry, is currently facing problems resulting from the current geopolitical situation. However, the company does not give up very ambitious investments. Moreover, Adampol is convinced that Małaszewicze will maintain its key position on the intermodal map of Europe for years to come. We talk about investment plans and the current structure of transport with Barbara Wójcik, Deputy Director of the Cargo Department at Adampol SA.
Mrs. Director, at the beginning I would like to know the current rolling stock structure of Adampol, what vehicles do you have at your disposal and what investments are planned in which units?
Our car fleet consists mainly of car transporters for the transport of passenger cars, while we consistently build a fleet of trucks for the transport of intermodal loads. At the moment, we have 5 mega trailers in the EUR6 standard, three container chassis also in the same standard. Until now, we had trucks of a lower standard eur4/eur5, now we are gradually replacing them. For the purpose of achieving this goal, we have placed an order for five more mega sets. Moreover, we are ordering 25 car transporters this year, so we are oriented towards development in two directions; continuing to maintain our fleet, for which we are known on the market - i.e. the car transporter fleet, and we are gradually expanding our multimodal fleet.
We got to know the investment plans for the new rolling stock. As for infrastructure, do you plan any investments in this area?
Yes. We are planning investments in our terminal infrastructure. For the current year, i.e. 2023, the expansion of two tracks with a Russian gauge, i.e. 1,520 mm, is planned - a total of 2,250 meters of track will be added. In the standard gauge, i.e. 1,435 mm, we have planned the expansion of the track system by another 2,300 meters of track. Along the new tracks, we will prepare hardening with dimensions of 1870×35 meters. This investment will significantly extend our transshipment front and create the possibility of storing more loaded containers. At our Terminal in Małaszewicze, we have separate places for storing loaded and empty containers, which facilitates maneuvers and reduces the number of movements when handling them.
In addition, we plan to build a covered ramp with a length of 140 meters. This length will accommodate eight wagons. It is definitely a future-proof investment that will allow us to operate covered conventional wagons. We are thinking here in particular about such goods that are sensitive to weather conditions during unloading and loading. We know very well that some goods are worth transporting in conventional wagons due to their volume. The transport of goods whose main criterion is volume rather than weight is less efficient when using containers. After analyzing the needs of customers who turn to us and analyzing the available solutions in our area, we decided that investing in a covered ramp makes sense.
These are the plans for this year. Next year, we intend to continue this investment and we have planned to build additional places for storing empty containers with a total area of 36,000 m2 and a car park, for which we will allocate an area of 17.6 hectares.
According to the plans, the parking lot will be able to accommodate 60 trucks, and it will be complemented by infrastructure for drivers, providing them with a place to wait for terminal service, social rooms with the possibility of using coffee or tea, access to toilets and showers. After completing this stage of the investment, we will introduce an electronic traffic management system at the terminal, also after entering our terminal, drivers will be able to park in a comfortable and safe place and wait for further instructions, which will be carried out in electronic form.
On the other hand, looking even further into the future, i.e. 2025 and beyond, we are considering the installation of gantry cranes, which will allow us to make even better use of the capabilities of our Logistics Center in Małaszewicze.
We hope that we will successfully complete the investment this year and complete the entire project planned for the next year.
These plans sound really ambitious. The Director mentioned the extension of the 1520 mm wide track, which, as we know, is used for transport from the east to the European Union via Małaszewicze. I would like to know the opinion of Adampol on the current geopolitical situation in the context of transport from China along the New Silk Road. Taking into account the situation related to the war beyond our eastern border, what is the current structure of transport to Małaszewicze, do you feel the effects of the war in your business?
Yes, of course we feel the effects of war in our activities. We all see it in the market. I do not have statistical data for the entire Małaszewicze railway junction, but it is also visible at every terminal in Małaszewicze, a significant decrease in the number of containers. We all know about formal sanctions that limit the portfolio of transported groups of goods. We also observe that some entities have decided to adopt "moral" sanctions, i.e. that some clients withdraw from cooperation with partners from Russia and Belarus at all, or even refuse to cooperate in the form of transport through the territory of these countries. There are also concerns arising from the lack of insurance of goods during transport. Still others fear the loss of goods through detention or destruction. The entities have limited trust in Belarus and Russia.
Fortunately, our clients have not encountered such situations, i.e. the goods have not been damaged, detained and there have been no problems due to the lack of insurance.
All in all, the whole situation is complex and means that the volumes of goods available on the market for transport and terminal handling have shrunk significantly.
Even before the war, record volumes of transported goods were arriving in Poland at the Brześć – Terespol crossing. The reloading terminals in Małaszewicze reached the peak of their capabilities. After the start of the war in Ukraine, the Central Corridor gained in importance, omitting Poland. In your opinion, will the Trans-Siberian Corridor return to favour, i.e. goods will "flood" Małaszewicze again?
In my opinion, the decisive criterion for choosing the type of transport is the price. We notice that as a result of the drop in sea freight prices, many customers choose sea transport. However, there are some groups of goods that require fast transport. I mean, among others, e-commerce and automotive. I can point out that we are slowly seeing a resurgence in volumes, but it's too early to call it a trend. The second issue is the ownership structure of Adampol. We are a company in the hands of Korean and Chinese capital, we have a large organization behind us and from our perspective we expect that the terminal in Małaszewicze will be used. That is why we are looking into the future and, as I indicated, we are investing in our terminal. In answer to your question, we expect to use the space where our Logistics Center in Małaszewicze is located, which is an ideal transshipment point from the point of view of logistics. From my many years of professional experience in the industry, I know that Małaszewicze was never empty, there were moments of peak and decline. I'm sure the main corridor will come back sooner or later.
Mrs. Director, staying with Małaszewicze, next month the Intermodal in Poland conference will be held, i.e. the largest conference of the multimodal transport industry in Poland. Why do you think organizing such events here is so important?
It is important to show that this place is crucial especially on the logistical map of Eurasia. It is a place connecting two railway systems and two customs systems. Especially in these difficult times, it is necessary to show such a place that, despite the fact that we face problems, we act and despite the fact that there are problems, we invest and develop.
So the statement that Małaszewicze is Europe's gateway to the East and Eurasia is still valid?
I think so, Małaszewicze is still Europe's gateway to the East. Of course, other centers may spring up, but their success will be determined by economics - we always have to agree with them. Another aspect is time; building point infrastructure and the linear infrastructure supplying it is not a matter of one or two years, so I believe that within the next five years Małaszewicze will remain Europe's gateway to the East.