"High-Speed Trains Are Too Expensive, We Need to Rely on Intermodal," Bartosz Wielgo States

Trying to regain clients, attract investment, and focus on intermodality. The obstacles to developing a unified European railway system were discussed at the Intermodal Poland Congress 2026.

The debate, held under the motto "A Single European Railway Area – Utopia or Reality?", took place at the Intermodal Poland Congress at the Janów Podlaski Castle. Experts from the logistics and transport sectors came together to share their views on solutions to current operational problems, as well as the geopolitical impact on the industry, which may prevent the EU from achieving its primary goal – the creation of a unified European railway system.

"Where Are the Funds for Małaszewicze?"

Michał Gryta, Sales Director of EUROTRANS, focused on Małaszewicze, one of Poland’s key logistics hubs. He described the current state of its infrastructure as deeply concerning.

"Before the pandemic, we reached our peak," he said. "At one point, capacity itself became a challenge." The COVID-19 pandemic then led to a sharp decline in volumes. "We have been rebuilding over the past years," Gryta added, "but it is not easy to regain clients’ trust after such a downturn."

He stressed that the situation is further worsened by insufficient public investment. "I have a question for policymakers: where are the funds for Małaszewicze?" he asked, adding that the lack of investment remains a key barrier to further growth of this strategic hub. Gryta also criticised regulatory issues in the sector, arguing that carriers are often penalised for factors beyond their control.

Polish Terminals Are Too Small

The discussion then turned to terminal infrastructure in Poland. Cezary Klimont, CEO of PKP Cargo Terminale, said the country still has too few terminals compared with Western Europe.

"From my experience, our terminals tend to be much smaller," he noted. "Elsewhere, these are real hubs."

Klimont pointed out that efficient intermodal transport depends on the integration of the entire logistics chain: "Road transport, then terminal, then rail, followed by ports and maritime shipping. The terminal is the gateway — everything needs to work smoothly."

He also pointed to structural issues in the sector, saying that long-term planning for terminals has largely disappeared. "After the 1990s, most projects were developed by private companies as business cases focused on rapid growth."

Mateusz Zając of ECM Velaro highlighted the infrastructure gap between Poland and Western Europe. He stated that Germany operates around 40 intermodal terminals and stressed that Poland will remain significantly behind unless investment accelerates. "We need time; we are not prepared yet," he said.

Who Will Rebuild Ukraine?

Aleksandra Adamska-Ziętek, member of the board at PKP Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa, emphasised the sector’s performance during crises, referring to the Russian war in Ukraine and the railway industry’s role in supporting refugees.

Cezary Klimont expressed optimism about the continued growth of intermodal transport as one of the fastest-developing logistics segments. He also referred to opportunities linked to Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, while warning that Poland may not yet be fully prepared to benefit. Although border terminals with Slovakia and Hungary are modern and well developed, he argued that Poland still lacks sufficient infrastructure to handle future reconstruction flows.

Investing in European Rail

Bartosz Wielgo highlighted the role of EU-backed cooperation in rail development, referring to plans for a network connecting European capitals. He said rail investment will continue to grow in importance, mentioning projects such as Katowice–Ostrava and expected links by 2035 between Poznań, Warsaw, Berlin and Prague. He also pointed to the growing importance of modal shift tools for managing freight flows at a European and global scale, noting that similar systems are already used in Rotterdam and Germany.

Wielgo also shifted the focus to investment priorities in rail. He noted that high-speed rail attracts significant public attention but requires very high funding. "The priority should be other types of rolling stock, especially intermodal trains," he said, pointing to freight efficiency as a more realistic focus at this stage of development.