Link: https://www.railfreight.com/intermodal/2025/05/08/pkp-wants-to-make-its-land-available-for-new-terminals/

PKP wants to make its land available for new terminals

Rail freight is struggling all across Europe. To turn the tide, Polish national rail operator PKP is willing to lease its land to private companies. Those can then build new transshipment terminals, providing opportunities for the freight sector.

There are only very few transshipment terminals in Poland, writes publication WNP.PL. The total number sits at 40. Some regions in the country do not have any terminals at all.

PKP President Alan Beroud told WNP.PL that his company is willing to help create opportunities for a modal shift. By building new terminals, more freight could be put onto the rails in more places. PKP could make its land available to private parties, so that they can invest in logistics facilities.

“There are bidders, both in terms of our locations on the [infrastructure manager] PKP PLK infrastructure, as well as on the [PKP] LHS infrastructure, so, on the broad gauge. As a company that has land, we would like this interest to be as great as possible”, Beroud explained.

That interest would be greatest if PKP would sell its land. Investors are indicating that that is what they are mostly after – ownership. However, Beroud says that PKP would prefer to lease its land, preferably for long periods of time.

Looking ahead

Besides the question of terminals, Beroud shared his thoughts on the future of rail freight. The sector lost large volumes of coal and is struggling with high energy prices. In the future, the industry should focus more on intermodal traffic (for which new terminals would help), but that is not easy.

“Transporting one tonne of cargo on the Gdańsk – Ostrava route costs 19 euros by train and 25 euros by truck. However, rail transport does not include the costs of the last mile, where road transport wins over rail”, Beroud told the Polish publication.

Money from above will be necessary. Within that context, Beroud pointed his fingers at Europe’s emission trading system (ETS): “The European Union’s policy has gone down a blind alley. Instead of subsidising European rail transport, ETS funds support electromobility, with Chinese and American companies benefiting. Where is the logic in that?” Rather, Europe could use ETS revenues to develop rail freight.