"As Poland Grows, Demand for Rail Wagons Will Grow Too," Says Cargo Wagon COO

The transport of coal, steel, construction materials and petroleum products still depends on specialised freight wagons. According to Pavel Holomek, Chief Operating Officer of the Slovak wagon leasing company Cargo Wagon, this segment continues to offer strong growth potential as Central Europe's logistics network expands.

During Intermodal Poland 2026, RAILTARGET spoke with Holomek about Poland's growing role in European intermodal transport, the future of wagon leasing, and why Slovakia risks falling behind unless it accelerates investment in railway infrastructure.

How do you see Poland's role in the development of European intermodal transport?

Poland is probably the most strategically important market in Central Europe today. It should not only be viewed as a large domestic market with considerable internal demand, but above all as a logistics hub through which goods flow to much of Europe north of the Alps. During the congress, we learned about further plans to develop several Polish ports, particularly the Szczecin–Świnoujście project. Alongside the existing capacities in Gdańsk and Gdynia, it has the potential to create a more direct gateway to the Baltic Sea for Czech exporters and importers.

At the same time, new logistics terminals are being built across the country to better integrate rail, road and maritime transport. These investments are significantly increasing transport capacity and strengthening Poland's position on the European logistics map. In terms of infrastructure quality, Poland is now able to compete with Germany, and I believe its importance will continue to grow.

What does this mean for Cargo Wagon?

For us, the development of the Polish market represents a significant opportunity. As freight volumes increase and new logistics centres and industrial parks are established, demand for rail wagon capacity will also grow. Industry across Eastern Europe is modernising, while much of the existing wagon fleet no longer fully meets today's requirements for capacity, safety and environmental performance. That is where we see our opportunity as a wagon leasing company. We are able to provide suitable rolling stock quickly, based on the changing needs of railway operators and their customers.

How does Slovakia compare?

In my view, Slovakia has fallen significantly behind Poland in recent years. Poland has become exceptionally successful at using European funding to develop its transport infrastructure. Its motorway network is largely complete, and the country has learned how to manage and co-finance large infrastructure projects using EU funds. It is now applying the same approach to major railway investments.

Slovakia, on the other hand, has not invested in its transport network on a comparable scale over the past decade. As a result, the gap between the two countries—particularly in the field of intermodal transport—has become increasingly noticeable and is likely to widen further.

What should Slovakia do to close that gap?

First of all, Slovak politicians need to recognise that the future of freight transport in Europe lies on the railway. Slovakia undoubtedly still has major challenges in completing its motorway network, but building a modern railway system connected to neighbouring countries—while maintaining existing operations—takes decades. Like Poland, Slovakia should invest much more heavily in developing transhipment facilities on the Slovak-Ukrainian border, as well as additional terminals and industrial sidings across the country.

In the future, access to a modern railway network could become a major competitive advantage for manufacturers, railway operators and freight forwarders, whether in connection with the reconstruction of Ukraine or the continued growth of trade between the Far East and the European Union.

If Slovakia does not want to become an isolated island outside Europe's main freight corridors, it must modernise its railway network, increase capacity and improve connections to the core European corridors. Whether east-west or north-south along the Ukrainian border, high-quality infrastructure will determine whether the country can benefit from emerging freight flows across Central Europe.

Where does Cargo Wagon fit into the development of Poland's ports and logistics hubs?

The development of Poland's logistics hubs is about much more than container transport. We also see significant opportunities in the transport of bulk commodities. Today, raw materials are being transported to support the construction of new logistics terminals. Once these facilities become operational, they will handle raw materials, semi-finished products and finished industrial goods destined for customers across Europe.

Changing freight patterns require flexible access to specialised wagons with sufficient capacity. Companies that lease railway wagons will therefore continue to play an important role in the growing transport market linking ports, logistics terminals and industrial centres in Poland and neighbouring countries.

Do you expect demand for leased rail wagons to continue growing?

Yes, I do. Across Europe, there is a clear trend towards larger wagon fleets owned by leasing companies, while railway operators are gradually reducing their own fleets. Customers increasingly value flexibility and prefer not to tie up capital in rolling stock ownership. Leasing enables them to respond quickly to changing market conditions and adjust capacity as needed.

As structural changes continue across the rail freight sector—and with the expansion of intermodal transport, new terminals and port developments—we expect demand for this business model to continue increasing.