Intermodality between air and railway passenger transport in Poland: present

situation and perspectives

Marcin Wolek Ph. D.Department of Transportation Market

University of GdanskPoland

Vilnius, 9.05.2008

Katedra Rynku Transportowego

dr Marcin Wołek, XI.2005

Competition

market share

car

planedistance

classic train

high speed train

Air and railway transport are competitive modes of passenger transport in long distance travel

Source: UIC 1998

Complimentarity

• airport – city rail links increase catchment area of airport;

• catchment area is determined by izochrones of travel

time to the airport;

• airports are usually located far from the city center;

• road congestion is the real challenge;

• total time of the air travel is long due to congestion and

uncertain time of arrival to the airport;

• dynamic growth of airports passengers.

Different status of airport links

Airport connected with:

• main railway lines (i.e. Frankfurt Flughafen);

• regional railway system (i.e. Köln – Bonn Flughafen);

• urban railway (i.e. Vienna Airport);

• tram line (i.e. Bremen);

• dedicated railway link only for airport passengers (Arlanda Express Stockholm, Vienna Airport).

CAT, Vienna Airport

Arlanda Express, Stockholm

Polish air market

• Growing number of passengers;

• low air mobility index (number of air travels / number of inhabitants) – 0,3 in 2005;

• decreasing role of Warsaw Airport;

• dynamic growth of regional airports;

• very good perspectives (air mobility index 1,98 in 2030);

• need of substantial investments;

• lack of intermodal links (only Krakow since 2007 with regional railway system).

Polish air market up to 2030

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

liczba pasażerów [mln] mobilnośćPassengers [mio] Air mobility index

Source: self-made based on Civil Aviation Authority, ulc.gov.pl

Polish railway market

• since 1990 has undergone strong crisis;

• still underinvested and old fashioned;

• growing market share of private cargo operators;

• poor infrastructure determining low quality of services;

• strong competitors (car and bus);

• growing role of self-governments (financing, ownership, contracting, rolling stock aquisitions);

• main market segments with best perspectives:

Agglomeration and interaglomeration (long distance);

Passenger railway market in Poland 1990-2005

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1990 2000 2005

Source: PKP PLK Annual Report, Warsaw 2003

TEN in Poland

Railway lines and main airports of Poland

A

A

A

A

A

Conclusions

• main Polish airports are located in European Transport

Corridors;

• only one airport has railway link to the center of the city

(Krakow);

• up to 2012 railway links should be completed in Warsaw,

Katowice, may be in Gdansk (with EU funds) and few other

regional airports;

• the results of initial marketing research conducted in one

regional airport in Poland show that the biggest disadvantage

for the passengers is uncertain time of arrival to air terminal.

Thank You!

Marcin Wolek Ph. D.Department of Transportation Market

University of GdanskPoland

Vilnius, 9.05.2008

Katedra Rynku Transportowego

dr Marcin Wołek, XI.2005

mwol@wp.pl