Prihláste sa na odber noviniek
The term “single wagonloads” gives the impression of small transport volumes. However, each wagon carries the load of several trucks, and when the transports are added up over the course of the whole year, the resulting number can get impressive. Such as in the case of ZSSK CARGO's stable partner, ŽP EKO QELET.
ŽP EKO QELET is the largest Slovak processor of old vehicles in Slovakia. It recycles approximately 9,000 old vehicles every year. However, it processes all kinds of metal waste. From the overall volume, 40% comes from industrial enterprises, 15% from the destruction of construction and industrial facilities and a quarter of metal waste comes from regular citizens. As the name of the company suggests, the majority, up to 83%, of metal waste goes to the parent company - Železiarne Podbrezová (ŽP). The remaining customers are not only in Slovakia, but the scrap is also destined for export - mainly to the Czech Republic, Poland and Italy. ŽP EKO QELET loads scrap at 22 locations in Slovakia. Only a full-network freight carrier offering the single wagonload service can meet the logistics requirements connected to the return journey of recyclable metals into the production process.
Easing the burden of the road network as a strategic goal of the executive
As the chairman of the board and CEO of ŽP EKO QELET, Roman Veverka, says, the reason for shifting to rail is mainly to relieve the road network of traffic: "It should be one of the strategic goals of our executive. As long as the decision on the method of transport is left to individual customers, they will choose a more operative and cheaper route. And that is currently the truck transport. There will certainly remain commodities that will continue to be transported exclusively by rail. Still, the effort should at least be to return to the original shares of rail transport in the Slovak market. I think that without a long-term state concept and subsequent support, the situation will not change significantly in the coming years".
The numbers prove his words. Although the company has strategically located its operations as close as possible to or on railroad sidings, the share of scrap transportation by rail is decreasing. The location of the operations near the railway made the handling of scrap metal easier, but rail transport was more cost-effective than road transport too. In recent years, however, the situation has changed considerably in favour of road transport. In 2021, ŽP EKO QELET transported 27.9% of goods by rail. By the end of October 2022, it was only 23.5%.
When single wagonloads connect
Summary figures for the whole year show best why single wagonloads are worth fighting for on the rail market. In 2021, ŽP EKO QELET alone ordered 3,583 wagons as single wagonloads and groups of wagons. Their logistics from 22 locations in Slovakia to the steelworks and back for loading is neither simple nor cheap. A single wagon does not mean that much. However, if we were to connect all the wagons (mostly of the Eas type) ordered only by ŽP EKO QELET for the year 2021 in a row, they would form one continuous set, more than 50 kilometres long. For an idea, such a set would continuously connect the cities of Bratislava and Trnava. Because the scrap was transported by rail, there were fewer road delays, less risk of accidents and less road damage and the need for road repairs, and last but not least, significantly fewer emissions. The railway is nine times more ecological than transport by trucks.
Correct relationships and mutual understanding
If the truck wants to avoid the road toll, it can drive along the toll-free sections. The railway does not have this option. Each kilometre of the railway network is charged, unlike the road network. And so, despite the social and ecological advantages of rail transport, the train is at a disadvantage compared to trucks. However, through long-term cooperation, customers like ŽP EKO QELET understand the complexity and issues of single wagonloads logistics. R. Veverka evaluates the relations with ZSSK CARGO as very correct: "We can understand the extent of the challenge that ZSSK CARGO takes care of, and if we need to find a solution, ZSSK CARGO employees at all positions are always willing to help us". In this case, we are talking about teams from all over Slovakia. The loading locations are truly diverse: Bratislava-Vajnory, Trnava, Štúrovo, Šurany, Nové Zámky, Levice, Nitra, Topoľčany, Prievidza, Hlumin nad Hronom, Trenčín-Zlatovce, Žilina-Bytčica, Čadca, Martin, Príbovce, Tvrdošín, Ružomberok, Banská Bystrica, Zvolen, Brezno, Lučenec and Fiľakovo.
Support for single wagonloads, as it is the case in Austria, Germany, France, or Hungary, would significantly help this segment in Slovakia as well. This applies not only to scrap metal but also to shipments of wood logs, chemicals, fuels and other raw materials for the functioning of the Slovak industry. There are still more than 5 million tons of goods on single wagonloads and rails that do not destroy road infrastructure, do not cause the risk of accidents and injuries (or worse) on the roads, and save a huge amount of emissions from transport, which would increase nine-fold once switched to road transport.
If you are interested in moving your goods by rail, you can start with a single wagon. The regional sales managers of ZSSK CARGO will offer you the most suitable loading and unloading options and a price quotation for transportation. They will be happy to answer all your questions about the possibility of transportation more ecologically and safely - by rail.
