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Rail traction services in Poland

25.05.2021

Provision of rail traction services in Poland is a niche activity, but dynamically developing. In 2019 these services generated PLN 60 m in revenues and in 2020 PLN 64 m. In 2019 83 rail carriers had a license to provide traction services and in 2020 91 carriers. A new study prepared by the Office of Rail Transport describes rail traction services in Poland in 2019-2020.

Traction services in Poland are licensed rail services. In Polish law these services are defined as work of traction vehicles with traction teams or work of traction teams (loco drivers) only. Rail carriers providing traction services usually operate in line with one of three models. The first one is provision of work of train drivers only. The second one is provision of traction vehicles with drivers. The third model is mixed and encompasses both provision of work of train drivers only and traction vehicles with drivers.

In 2020 91 rail companies had a license to provide traction services. When compared to 2019, this number increased by 8 newly licensed companies. However, only part of carriers actively use their licences. In 2019-2020 the number of carriers providing traction services remained at the same level and was 30.  

The structure of provided services changed. In 2019-2020 the share of services provided by traction vehicles with drivers decreased from 51% to 37% and the share of services provided by train drivers only increased from 49% to 63%.

In 2019 approx. 78% of the work (in man-hours) in traction services was provided by 6 companies: Cargo Master; Orion Logistics; PKP Cargo; Lokotrain; Logistics & Transport Company and Cargo Przewozy Towarowe, Transport. The remaining 22% of the work was provided by remaining 24 carriers. In 2020 there was a slight reshuffling of shares in the sector. Approx. 81% of the work in traction services was provided by 5 carriers: Cargo Przewozy Towarowe, Transport; ECCO Rail; Cargo Master; Orion Logistics; Lokotrain, and approx. 19% of the work was provided by remaining 25 companies.

More data on rail traction services in Poland can be found in the new analysis prepared by the UTK (in Polish) here.

THE NUMBER OF MAN-HOURS BY THE TYPE OF TRACTION SERVICES PROVIDED IN 2019-2020

STRUCTURE OF SHARES IN TRACTION SERVICES BY MAN-HOURS IN 2019

STRUCTURE OF SHARES IN TRACTION SERVICES BY MAN-HOURS IN 2020

 

 

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