PASSENGER TRANSPORT
In January 2022 21.4 m passengers used rail transport. As compared to January 2021, it is an increase by 7.81 m (+57.5%). The transport performance amounted to 1.31 bn pass-km, which is higher by 511 m pass-km (+63.9%), and the operational performance reached 15.61 m train-km, which is higher by 1.03 m train-km (+ 7.1%) than in January 2021. The average distance travelled by a passenger is 61.2 km, which is 2.4 km longer (+ 4.1%) than in January 2021.
When we compare January 2022 to December 2021, the number of rail passengers will be by 1.18 m lower (-5.2%), the transport performance will be lower by over 103.12 m pass-km lower (-7.3%), while the operational performance will slightly increase - by 0.07 m train-km (+ 0.4%). In January 2022 the average distance travelled by a passenger was 1.4 km shorter (-2.2%) when compared to December 2021.
In January 2022 results in rail passenger transport improved significantly compared to last year. However, if we compare them month to month, January data may be slightly worse, because for majority of rail carriers it is the third month of a decrease in the number of transported passengers. Even the winter holidays that started in some voivodeships did not improve the situation. Only two companies carried more passengers month by month: POLREGIO and Warsaw Commuter Railway (WKD). We should also remember that in January we had a difficult pandemic situation. Over the next few months we will see how easing of pandemic restrictions, rising rail ticket prices and international situation will impact rail passenger transport - comments Ignacy Góra, President of the Office of Rail Transport.
Detailed data on rail passenger transport are available at www.dane.utk.gov.pl
RAIL FREIGHT
When compared to January 2021, the weight of transported goods rose by over 2 m tonnes (11.6%) and reached 19.6 m tonnes in January 2022. Increases were also recorded in the transport performance (4.6 bn tonne-km, 12%) and the operational performance (6.6 m train-km, 7.8%). The average transport distance of one tonne of goods was 234 km and 1 km longer than in January 2021.
However, when we compare month-to-month data, i.e. January 2022 to December 2021, drops are visible. The weight of transported goods decreased in January by almost 1 m tonnes (4.6%). The transport performance dropped by 159 m tonne-km (3.4%) and the operational performance by 0.05 m train-km (0.7%). The average transport distance of one tonne of goods was 3 km longer in January than in December.
In rail freight we have a noticeable increase year on year. However, due to various external factors that took place at the beginning of 2021, it seems more reasonable to compare January data with the previous months. In this case, we see the same trend for many years, where the peak in rail freight is reached in October and over the following months is usually a regression, and the rebound does not come until March. Certainly, after only one month it is difficult to define what the whole of 2022 may look like in rail freight, even more so with the war in Ukraine which will affect the global supply market - noted Ignacy Góra, President of the Office of Rail Transport.
Detailed data on rail freight are available at www.dane.utk.gov.pl