The 3rd Intermodal Freight Transport Forum 2015

30.04.2015

The most important intermodal event in Poland - the 3rd Intermodal Freight Transport Forum 2015 is behind us. Like every year, the Port of Gdansk Authority SA took Partnership of the event. The Gdansk Amber Expo on this occasion, as in previous years, hosted not only those involved in the Polish market for intermodal transport, carriers, forwarders, intermodal operators, representatives of national and local authorities, representatives of the terminals, seaports and the world of science, but also representatives of Belarusian railways.

This year, the program of events included three panel discussions:
1. The role and potential of transport corridors in the development of intermodal transport in Poland,
2. The expansion of intermodal transport infrastructure and modern means of transportation,
3. The greatest challenges for those involved in the intermodal market.

The first was preceded by a presentation by the Port of Gdansk Authority SA, led by Ryszard Mazur - the Director of Strategy and Development of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA. The presentation covered the possibility of making port-related investments in the Port of Gdansk with a particular emphasis on intermodal terminals. An element of the Port of Gdansk's development strategy was presented clearly and coherently, taking into account the expansion of infrastructure allowing access to the port (by both road and railway), the increasing importance of Gdansk as an important logistics hub and an ideal place to locate a business that generates so-called intermodal transport. As pointed out by Director Mazur, "for many years, the Port of Gdansk has conducted a range of activities with the aim of making Gdansk a key link in the Baltic-Adriatic corridor, with the Port of Gdansk at the head of this chain rather than at the end of the corridor."

Dorota Raben - CEO of the Port of Gdansk Authority SA, who took part in a panel discussion on the potential of transport corridors in the development of intermodal transport also highlighted the following fact: "thanks to the TEN-T network we have become global ports, not local. We serve the whole of Central Europe and part of Eastern Europe. Our ports are able to access EU funding so that we can develop infrastructure and provide a greater range of services. It should be remembered, however, that there is an absolutely necessity for the effective coordination of our activities. Without that," she added, "it will be difficult to talk about intermodal but only about combined transport."

The great potential of Gdansk was also appreciated by the representatives of Belarusian railways who, in the second panel discussion on the Expansion of Intermodal Transport Infrastructure and modern means of transport, presented their range of intermodal services while at the same time revealing their latest project to launch a new fixed rail link with Gdansk. As pointed out, it is a competitive solution compared with the alternative via Klaipeda. Gdansk, however, is more attractive financially.

During the third and last panel on the greatest challenges for those involved in the intermodal market, the quality of services at terminals was discussed since, as noted, high quality is the foundation for the smooth functioning of intermodal transport.

This year's forum is proof of the growing importance of intermodal transport and the need for the constant exchange of opinions between market players, conducive to the development of coherent solutions aimed at the further promotion of intermodal transport in Poland.