Laude organises these last-mile operations from its terminals in Zamość, near the Ukrainian border, and Sosnowiec in the Silesian-Dąbrowa industrial regions. It also does last-mile operations from partner terminals, including Duisburg.

New connection to Italy

The Polish operator is also thinking about further business development: “The next step will be an intermodal connection linking Warsaw and Silesia with northern Italy. In each of these transport options, there is a possibility to extend the route to Ukraine and Turkey”, Laude says.

Laude points out that their greatest advantage – the ability to load and unload from the side, top, and rear – makes its transport solution “comparable to traditional road transport.”

Laude uses both trailers that allow unloading of bulk cargo from containers and the transport
of heavy steel coils thanks to specially designed containers with a trough. “Additionally, […] we are able to transport any type of cargo, provided it is palletised or loaded into big bags”, commented Marcin Witczak, CEO of Laude Smart Intermodal. “In full train transport, we carry biomass, grain, fertilisers, and similar cargo.”

How are they increasing?

In the three Benelux countries and the DACH countries, the fuel fee for trucks will rise by 7%, just like the one for barge and BCO, while the one for RCO by 4%. In both areas these increases will be valid between 30 March and 13 April. In Poland, for trucking services the rises will be +12% while for RCO 6% during the same period.

For Italy, 8% and 3% but they will be effective from 1 April and will be reviewed two weeks later. In Slovenia, Maersk will implement a 4% Intermodal Fuel Fee but only for trucks which will be applied for the whole month of April and will then be reviewed on a monthly basis.

‘Unprecedented cost environment’

The war on Iran and the consequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz has choked the passageway of 20% of the world’s fuel supply, causing prices to skyrocket. The situation is dire, and an end does seem to be in sight. Maersk defined it as an “unprecedented cost environment” that “continues to place significant pressure on logistics and intermodal transportation markets”.

PKP Cargotabor and PKP Cargo

PKP Cargotabor is PKP Cargo’s maintenance subsidiary. It started experiencing financial troubles after the mother company also entered restructuring in September 2024. Maintenance orders decreased due to the decrease in transport demand, putting PKP Cargotabor into a financial strain. For PKP Cargo, the restructuring plan was approved last week.

“This is very good news for the company”, commented PKP Cargo Vice President Paul Miłek, “meaning it will be possible to implement restructuring measures.”

The plan allows PKP Cargo to propose arrangements to creditors. “Following this decision, based on the restructuring plan, we will be able to present final arrangement proposals to creditors. Once the arrangement proposals are finalised, we hope to conclude an arrangement with creditors this year.”

Back to normal

Once the rail operator succeeds in doing that, it can again apply for external funds and “become a full-fledged market participant”. It will also remove the “in restructuring” suffix from its name. PKP Cargo has officially carried the name “PKP Cargo in restructuring” since the start of the proceedings.

“We have a period of intense work ahead of us, but today’s decision by the Judge-Commissioner is a very important step towards completing the restructuring process”, concluded Miłek.

At the end of last year, Rail Baltica stated that 43% of the project was ‘construction ready’. Thinking that it is possible to go from that to 100% completion in five years may be a little naive, especially considering that expected costs skyrocketed from 5,8 to almost 24 billion euros. Malepszak argued that adding up the lack of funds paired with growing costs and the complicated technical requirements set by the EU made it impossible to finish the project in time.

Estonia’s pessimism and Latvia’s struggles

The Polish deputy minister of infrastructure is not the first politician from one of the countries involved raising red flags about Rail Baltica’s schedule. Last year, opposition party member of the Latvian Parliament and Rail Baltica Committee Head Andris Kulbergs shared similar worries, claiming that it would be delayed to 2035, especially for the Latvian section. Latvia is in fact struggling to secure the funds and already had to significantly downgrade the initiative.

The latest expansion includes several strategically important corridors, notably the route from the Polish capital eastwards to Terespol on the border with Belarus, the line from Warsaw west to Kunowice on the German border, and part of the E30 main line running from Opole in southern Poland via Wrocław and Legnica to Bielawa Dolna, also at the German border.

Lagging behind but catching up

Compared with several Western European networks that completed large-scale GSM-R deployment years ago, Poland has been relatively late in introducing nationwide digital rail radio coverage. Having long relied on the analogue 150 MHz VHF system, the infrastructure manager says it has faced increasing limitations, including imprecise communication and the risk of unauthorised activation of the “Alarm” signal.

The legacy communications set-up has also complicated Poland’s transition towards the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which relies on GSM-R alongside ETCS. Modern digital radio coverage will be essential as Poland prepares for a more demanding future network, with faster services and more international traffic requiring interoperable systems.

The challenge is that although GSM-R remains the current European standard for railway radio, it is based on 2G technology and is expected to be phased out over the next decade as the sector prepares for FRMCS, the future 5G-based rail communications system. Rolling out technology that will eventually be replaced is therefore a delicate timing issue, but GSM-R is widely regarded as a necessary step to secure interoperable digital communications and enable ERTMS before the longer-term migration to FRMCS.

Preparing for full integration

“The system is based on digital technology that enables reliable and stable communication between all participants in the transport process,” said Piotr Wyborski, CEO of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA. “The implementation of GSM-R is a key step towards improving the safety, interoperability, and quality of communication in rail transport.”

The company added that the new system would reduce delays linked to imprecise communication and improve protection against eavesdropping or unauthorised interference. This includes mitigating the risk of unauthorised activation of the “Alarm” signal, which it describes as a key shortcoming of the existing 150 MHz VHF system.

“Thanks to the implementation of GSM-R, the Polish railways are not only gaining a new level of communication quality, but are also preparing for full integration with the European ERTMS system,” said Michał Gil, Member of the Management Board, Director of Operations at PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA. “This increases safety, streamlines international cooperation, and raises the standard of passenger and freight transport services.”

Would you like to find out more about Europe’s newest digital signalling and comms projects? To meet some of the key voices defining EU rail policy regarding ERTMS and cross-border rail, consider joining the RailTech Europe conference in Utrecht on 5 March. The second day of our summit examines Europe’s defence-driven shift and its implications for the rail sector, with ERTMS the main topic of Session 3, ‘Security through digital unity – accelerating ERTMS and interoperability’. Top-level speakers include Head of the ERA’s ERTMS Unit, the CEO of Nordic Signals, the ERTMS Program Directorate in the Netherlands, and many more. 

Speakers in focus

Truschkin will bring his expertise on loading units and their role in facilitating the modal shift to rail much coveted by the European Union. How can terminals make sure they can handle all of them? How do terminal equipment needs change? Would it be better to have terminals specialising in specific types of cargo? Pedersen, on the other hand, will focus on automated and semi-automated cranes from container yards to rail terminals. Which crane tasks can be automated? How can safe work zones be guaranteed? What human skills will continue to be a necessity and which ones will become more obsolete?

Other than a programme filled with interesting sessions, the European Cargo Experience will also be a perfect opportunity for industry leaders to network and mingle. The first day will feature a site visit and a relaxed dinner to set the stage for the event. The second day will include the main programme, filled with interesting sessions, networking activities and an unmissable closing reception to enjoy a drink, reconnect with business partners and reflect on the sessions.

When it comes to external factors, four were identified as problematic by a significant number of people. The insufficient role of rail in the national transport strategy and strong competition from other modes were, by far, the main ones. Some of the solutions suggested included better measures for train punctuality and higher subsidies for investments.

The state of Polish rail freight

Poland is one of the largest users of rail freight in Europe, but the market is far from thriving. The incumbent and main operator PKP Cargo is slowly getting out of a quasi-bankruptcy through a tough restructuring that is impacting the whole sector. On the other hand, intermodal transport is on the rise, albeit moving much lower volumes.

“In recent years, we have renewed our focus on rail and this has gathered momentum in light of the growing interest from customers in combined transport solutions and more broadly, in carbon-free transport. Multimodal solutions are now systematically included in tender specifications and are the subject of specific studies to identify transferable freight flows. The subject is even addressed upstream during warehouse implementation projects,” he said.

Domestic debut

FM Logistic made its first significant move into combined rail-road freight transport in September 2024 with the launch of a French domestic service linking Paris area, north of France and the south-east of the country. It mainly connects Paris-Valenton to Avignon and there are currently three to four containers in round trip per day. It has also started up routes from Miramas and Arles in south-east France to Lille and Dourges in the north. In addition, since last summer, it has run trains from the Paris region to Toulouse in the south-west.

“Since its launch, these services have performed very well and there is a clear benefit in terms of the environmental impact and the reduction in CO2 emissions. Operationally, apart from having to cope with some exceptional weather conditions, they have been running without any interruptions. The regularity and punctuality of the trains is in line with that of 100% road-based solutions.”

Launch of northern France-Poland corridor

Turning to FM Logistic’s new European combi service between northern France and Poland, Sylvain explained that the company started with two to three units (container or semi-trailer) in roundtrip per week. “In collaboration with our customers, we are gradually increasing the offering to four or five round trips per week and in some cases are operating daily.”

FM Logistic began with a direct connection to Krzewie, in central Poland and has since extended the geographical coverage to include the cities of Kutno (also central) as well as Gliwice (south), Poznan (west) and Gdansk (north). The company is also looking at solutions via Duisburg, in Germany and on directly to the Lyon region.

Journey times between Poland and northern France can range from 3-4 days to 5-7 days, depending on the day of departure. For example, a departure on a working day, from France on Tuesday evening can allow for arrival in Poland on Friday morning. FM Logistic mainly transports palletised consumer goods on the ‘corridor’ including ambient temperatures food and non-food commodities and also some products subject to dangerous goods regulations.

‘Partnership-based approach’

FM Logistic collaborates with various combined transport operators. In France, its partners include Froidcombi and T3M while it is also developing projects with other recognised players on routes where they offer unique or high-performance services, Sylvain said. At European level, FM Logistic works with rail operators such as Germany’s Contargo, part of the Rhenus Group and Poland’s PCC Intermodal and Clip Group.

“This partnership-based approach is a fundamental pillar of our ‘Act with Partner’ strategy. We regularly discuss and explore solutions that we can implement together with numerous players. This is essential because, beyond the challenges of competition, the potential of carbon-free flows is immense – they still only represent 9 to 15% of transport flows in France – and require a collaborative and complementary approach to maximise their development.”

Baltic Hub notes that rail transshipment is growing in importance. The terminal handled 9,362 trains over the course of 2025, which is 1,100 more than in 2024. In 2026, it plans to further develop the rail system, which should “increase the terminal’s capacity and improve service to business partners.”

More connections around the world

The growing capacity and increasing number of worldwide maritime connections are helping to solidify Baltic Hub as a major freight entry point into Europe. In 2025, it added connections to the Far East, Western Europe and the United States.

“The new route network is a significant step towards increasing flexibility and transport planning capabilities for all of Central and Eastern Europe”, the terminal writes. “Regular calls at Gdańsk stabilise supply chains and enhance operational predictability, while confirming the Baltic Hub’s position as the most important logistics hub in the Baltic region.”