The Ukrainian industrial group Interpipe is testing a new logistics route for delivering its products to the European Union by rail and road, particularly through the terminal in Chełm, Poland.
Oleksii Yanovskyi, the company's director of procurement and logistics, stated this in comments to the CFTS portal.
Asked whether the company is considering the possibility of transporting its goods to Europe on inland waterways, Yanovskyi replied: "Interpipe has thoroughly examined the possibilities of using the Danube for deliveries to the EU. Unfortunately, the current level of service does not allow us to compete with direct transportation by road from an economic point of view or in terms of transit time."
However, according to him, the company is currently conducting test shipments of pipes by rail to a terminal in Chełm (Poland), which has a broad-gauge railway. The products are then transferred onto trucks and delivered to their final destinations.
"This method is relatively cost-effective given the current trucking rates, but it has several drawbacks, particularly the challenge of preventing rust on the surface of the pipes. However, this method is unlikely to be suitable for railway products, considering their extreme sensitivity to storage and transport conditions. Therefore, direct road transport is likely to remain the most feasible method for delivering railway wheels and wheelsets to customers in Europe," Yanovskyi said.
As reported previously, Interpipe has signed an agreement to supply railway wheels to Greenbrier Corporation.
The Ukrainian manufacturer plans to supply 20,000 wheelsets (equivalent to 40,000 wheels) to the freight car segment of the European market in 2024. In addition, it plans to supply nearly 105,000 wheels under various contracts.
