It is only a summer holiday away until the RailFreight Summit Poland takes place and the lustrum event is now open for registration. Do you want to better understand the impact of war on a supply chain? The current status of the New Silk Road? Or the state of the rail network in the Eastern European country in general? All of this will be discussed on 7 & 8 September in Warsaw.

The RailFreight Summit Poland is organised every year, each time in another city that is important for the rail freight industry. For the first time, the event is held in Warsaw this year and that is not without reason. The event coincides with the opening of the Hupac terminal in Warsaw. A site tour to this new terminal is on the agenda.

Apart from that, there is a full conference programme, covering 1.5 days with interesting discussions, presentations and working groups. The theme of the event is ‘moving to a new reality’. The New Silk Road has always been a major driver for rail freight volumes, but this has changed due to the war in Ukraine. Poland is repositioning itself.

Ukrainian exports

Ukrainian export goods that can no longer be shipped to Europe by sea are partly transported via Poland. All eyes are on rail, but the capacity of the infrastructure is not enough. What can be done to increase this capacity? And what are the other options for export from Ukraine?

Nevertheless, Silk Road traffic did not come to a stop. Although the volumes have dropped, they have not stopped. What are the challenges of today? How do companies cope with this new reality? How do they deal with the impact of sanctions? And what does the shipper think about the route at the moment?

Quality of the network

When discussing this, the discussion will inevitably turn to the more frequently debated issues such as train speed, border facilities, high track access charges and competition on the market. New loading techniques for semi-cranable trailers are implemented, have they proven their value? A lot of money has been invested in the Polish network, is this being well spent?

Last year, around 250 logistics specialists attended the RailFreight Summit Poland. These included logistics providers, operators, shippers, carriers, academics, policymakers, lawyers and consultants. Participants left the conference with new contacts and business relations, and more knowledge. Do you want to attend this year’s edition? Have a look at the website here. Registration is now open.