A freight train consists of wagons coupled into a set and towed by a locomotive.
What wagons are the goods carried in?
The rail wagons are selected to be compatible with the specified goods; the selection will depend on the type of goods to be shipped. Coal, coke, ore, aggregates, and similar bulk goods, which are not sensitive to weather conditions, are carried in coal wagons that can be standard or specialised (with automatic unloading, for example). The most popular choices for transporting steel products (steel sheets, steel bars, rolled profiles, steel pipes, coils) and timber are platform wagons or specialised covered wagons. Cargo like cereals, animal feed and its components are carried in special grain wagons. If liquid goods need to be carried, we will contact a carrier who operates rail tankers. When should I choose rail transport?

Here are some examples of the strengths of rail transport:

• Carriage of goods by rail over long distances is much faster than shipping by sea;
• Rail transport is significantly less expensive than air transport;
  The rail transport sector is green;
• Rail transport is much safer than other modes;
• Rail transport enables shipping of quantities of goods in a single run that are much larger than what road transport vehicles can carry.

How is the price of rail transport calculated?

When calculating the costs of rail transport, what needs to be taken into account first is the railway infrastructure; the rate component for access to the railway network is the dominant factor here. Too high a rate component is a ever-present problem faced by this mode of transport and not only in Poland (the railway infrastructure in each country is mostly managed by one company and the average network access rate depends on it). This prevents any real competition based on economic terms with road transport.

An important cost driver in rail transport is the price of electrical power, which is a counterpart to fuel in road transport. Any increase of electrical power price costs extra, just as with fuel for trucks. The type of locomotives (electric or diesel) for freight depends on the railway line, or what traction type is operated by the carrier to the specific destinations.

Transport rates and extra charges are specified by rail carriers in their freight tariffs. When signing a contract for rail transport with a carrier, freight forwarders get a certain discounts on tariff rates; the depth of discount depends on the weight of goods declared for carriage in a certain period. The customer usually receives a quotation from the freight forwarder for a comprehensive transport and forwarding service including rail freight, transshipment if necessary, last-mile delivery (which is usually done with trucks), as well as additional charges. However, some of the additional charges for transport cannot be predicted, like the costs of freight wagon stop at the consignment station, the destination station, or transshipment stations (for international destinations), additional locomotive shunting, or additions/changes in the waybills. These costs are effectively reinvoiced to the customer.

If you are thinking about having your goods shipped by rail, send us your request for quotation.

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