photo: Budamar press materials/Budamar
Slovakia – In comparison with the nearest competitors, support for intermodal transport in Slovakia is small. Instead of focusing on new raw material flows, it has been trampling on the ground for several years. According to Ľubomír Loy, the recipe for resolving the current unfortunate situation is to intensify trade relations with China and to set up a financial system to support intermodal transport, which is quite common across Europe.
Governmental support of this type of transportation which combines two possibilities of transporting raw materials and is also very ecological is negligible in Slovakia. While in 2017, it seemed that Slovak train carriers would have participated much more in the transport along the Silk Road.
China has invested billions of euros in it and this country was to reconnect with Europe. In practice, this meant that thousands of trains would flow through Slovakia. "However, this plan is far from being fulfilled. The Combined Transport Terminal in the town Dobrá is located near the town Černá nad Tisou, but it is used minimally,” said Ľubomír Loy, a member of the Board of Directors, in the interview with Tlacovespravy.sme.sk.
Compared to neighboring countries, Slovakia emerges as someone who missed a train. Support for intermodal transport in Hungary and Poland is at a completely different level. “Each product flow that is routed across the country represents revenue from the use of the transport route and job opportunities in transshipment or in the implementation of rail transport itself. And these are facts that they are very aware of, for example, in Poland or Hungary, where they fully support intermodal transport,” said Ľubomír Loy, Budamar Group's sales director, in an interview.
Slovakia is still unable to use its advantageous geographical location and to become a link between east and west. The strong discipline of the local railway lines in the transport of raw materials for the metallurgical industry, but is not enough today. There was also a necessary investment and the need to pull the emergency brake. There was a threat of losing its position in the transport of key raw materials. "As the markets opened, we were close to losing our position in the transport of raw materials for the metallurgical industry. Fortunately, this did not happen mainly since Budamar made significant investments in innovations and modernizations of transshipment technology in the town Čierná nad Tisou,” Loy pointed out.
In his opinion, it is necessary to start taking systemic steps. Otherwise, Slovakia will remain out of the game. "We sent at least one train per week from China, but it did not remain long. Today we are at zero points and so far, there is no indication that the situation should change. If this change does not happen soon, we will forever lose the chance to compete with the surrounding countries, " Loy warned. In such a case, it would not be possible to catch up with other wolfhounds on the market and Slovakia would be limited in its possibilities for growth in the transport of raw materials. The model can be taken in Poland or Hungary, where new lines are being created to support the purchase of new cars, as well as the creation of new terminals.
"It's five minutes past twelve, the current situation can still change. It is necessary to intensify relations with China. It is also necessary to set up a financial system to support intermodal transport. All we have to do is set it based on how our "competitors" - Poles and Hungarians - plan to support these trains today and in the future,” a member of the Board of Directors told to Tlacovespravy.sme.sk.