Land transport, while enjoying a dominant position in Europe and the world, has obvious advantages, but it also has significant and visible drawbacks. One key drawback is the high and ever-increasing costs of this particular mode of transport. Naturally, these proportionally increasing costs translate into substantial sums that must be allocated to expanding and maintaining increasingly complex transport infrastructure. Simply put, highways, main railway lines, road junctions, viaducts, bridges, and so on, are incredibly expensive.
The safety of this mode of transport simply cannot be guaranteed. This applies to all possible modes of transport. This includes economic and technical safety, as well as security against coordinated activity that threatens transport itself and its infrastructure. In such circumstances, an alternative to the norm is sought. Such an alternative exists, and in European conditions, it functions almost perfectly and, last but not least, has significant development prospects. It also has significantly better safety parameters in objective terms. This is inland waterway transport.
Inland waterways in Europe and Poland
Western Europe is crisscrossed by a dense transportation network. These include highways, main railways, and, surprisingly, regulated and navigable rivers and inland canals. Even though we're in the 21st century, transport practice and economics demonstrate that the low cost of inland waterway transport is a sufficient competitive standard for this mode of transport not only to persist but also to thrive.
The two largest navigable waterways in Western Europe are the Rhine and the Danube. The former carries entire lines of inland cargo ships. Barges with a capacity of up to 3,500 tons operate in the German region of Cologne, and in historic Strasbourg, goods can be transported by barges with a capacity of 3,000 tons . We deliberately write "barges" because, today, tugs and pushboats are clearly fading into the background. Self-propelled barges clearly dominate. The Danube, however, and here's a curious fact, is more used as a waterway in its upper and middle reaches. [1]However, its lower reaches – the delta – are systematically silted up, so its outlet to the Black Sea, rather than, for example, the Mediterranean, deprives the river of some of its economic advantages.
Each of the rivers mentioned has numerous navigable tributaries, and other smaller rivers are also used in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. The rivers are connected by numerous deep canals, the largest of which are also designed for large inland vessels. For example, the famous, and by no means new, Albert Canal in Belgium and the Netherlands is designed for seagoing vessels, as well as inland vessels up to 5,000 tons.
It's also worth remembering that Russia, as well as the former USSR, possesses a number of waterways. While not all of them currently meet high standards, it's fair to say that Moscow is, in fact, not just symbolically, a port of the five seas, and that waterways like the Baltic-Belomer Canal, with its branch to Moscow, are used and exploited to a significant extent.
In Western Europe, Berlin holds a special place in inland navigation. This city, nestled among lakes, also has connections to numerous rivers and seas. A major canal from Berlin leads east to the Oder River, partially using the Havel River.
The question remains, what does the inland waterway system look like in our country? Unfortunately, we should start by saying that it's very bad, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Things were significantly better back then, when barges carrying goods were actually flowing rhythmically on the Oder, Vistula, Warta, Noteć, Bug, Narew, and even some smaller rivers.[2]
However, in the 1970s, inland navigation began to recede not into the background, but into the fourth place.
River regulation and canal lock repairs were gradually abandoned, leaving only the Oder River, with its extension: the Gliwice Canal, to Gliwice. Navigation is still possible on the Warta River and parts of the Vistula and Brda Rivers near Bydgoszcz. In practice, water transport in Poland is profitable where goods can be transported by barge weighing at least 500 tons.
It's obvious that larger barges, weighing 750-800 tons, can navigate the Lower Oder, but from Gliwice through Koźle, Opole, and Wrocław, i.e., the canal, and the Upper and Middle Oder, only 500-ton barges can navigate. This is determined by the size of the locks. [3] It's important to remember that a certain, but significant, obstacle to navigation on the Oder is the low-slung road bridges. These, built during the communist era, were specifically designed to accommodate shipping culverts. [4]Paradoxically, barges cannot navigate at high water levels because they don't fit under the bridges.
"500-ton" barges can also be used in the Bydgoszcz area, but the Bydgoszcz Canal, for example, is now a rather historic concept, as only small 300-ton barges can navigate it. A similar situation exists on the Vistula River. Theoretically, the river is navigable from Oświęcim, where the Soła River flows into it. In practice, cargo shipping in the Kraków area is minimal, much like in the Warsaw area. The city does have two ports, but they likely only serve to provide a mooring space for several dozen useless barges.
There are still opportunities for inland cargo shipping in the region of the great Masurian lakes and in the northeastern reaches of our country. The Masurian Canal is primarily used for recreation, while the historic Augustów Canal is practically, and to a limited extent, only used for tourism. Currently, only a portion of it lies within Poland's borders. Navigation also occurs sporadically on the Bug River, the border river. Perhaps the situation will be different in the future, as Warsaw, and more specifically the Praga port area, is connected by a navigable canal to Zegrze Reservoir, which opens onto the Bug and Narew rivers. But significant investment is needed here.
Administrative entities of inland navigation and waterways in Poland
Of the many entities operating in the field of inland navigation in our country, only a few are relatively large:
- Odratrans Capital Group,
- Szczecin Shipping in Szczecin,
- Kraków Shipping – PHS Anex in Kraków,
- HTS Shipping in Gdańsk,
- Bydgoszcz Shipping.
Companies such as Żegluga Bydgoska, Odra Logistics, and shipyards are also part of "Odratrans." This transport entity is currently by far the largest inland carrier in Poland.
The current trend in inland waterway freight transport is such that a significant portion of Polish companies operate exclusively on international markets. Currently, nearly half of Polish barges operate on foreign markets. In 2008, domestic transport accounted for 52% of total cargo volume, with the remainder going to foreign markets.
Transport volumes hover around 10 million tons of goods annually. Based on 2010, this represents approximately 0.78% of nationwide freight transport.
Inland waterway ports and harbors in Poland
Until 1990, river ports were publicly owned and generally managed by state-owned shipping companies. After that date, a process of municipalization began. This, of course, involved the gradual liquidation of state-owned shipping companies connected with the Vistula. Those remaining in the market also had to adapt to the requirements of a market economy.
Some ports, especially unprofitable ones, were also closed. Virtually all ports on the Vistula River were municipalized, while ports on the Oder River, such as Gliwice, Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Opole, Ścinawa, and Krosno Odrzańskie, were municipalized.[5]
A few words of commentary are in order here regarding the beginning of the Oder River navigation route, namely the ports of Gliwice and Kędzierzyn-Koźle. The first step was to establish a duty-free zone within these ports, hoping for some kind of economic boom. However, economic processes took a different course. Consequently, the two ports were formally separated again. A special economic zone was established within the Gliwice port , dominated by "Logistic Gliwice," one of the most dynamic companies of its kind in the country. This company, of course, has the Gliwice inland port in its hinterland, and in addition to bulk cargo, it also attempts to transport containers, primarily to Berlin, using specialized barges. This company accepts containers, transported by rail and road from the wider West, and then transports them in special trains to the station in Sławków, where they are reloaded onto broad-gauge wagons.
Shipping companies have access to commercial ports in Opole, two ports in Wrocław (including a large port in Popowice), Głogów, and Nowa Sól, as well as the Elbląg Quay in Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, Kostrzyn, Ujście n/No tecią, Krzyż, and Malbork. There are also several industrial ports, such as the Dolna-Odra Power Plant. This port is primarily used for unloading coal for the large power plant.
Main commercial shipping routes in Poland and waterway parameters
Depending on the navigation season, the following water transport routes are still of great importance:
- coal, via the Gliwice Canal – Oder route to the seaports in Szczecin and Świnoujście. Partly on the return journey, transport of phosphates, iron ore,
- liquid fuels on the lower Vistula on the route: Northern Port in Gdańsk – Płock – Refinery,
- bulky goods – e.g. spans for bridges and viaducts on motorways in the Lower Vistula and Lower Oder sections,
- containers – Gliwice – Berlin and back,
- aggregates for local construction needs,
- coal for local needs on the Upper Vistula.[6]
Theoretically, it's possible to connect the Oder River with the Elbe River basin, or even the Danube. In the 1970s, a 6-kilometer canal was dug southward from the port in Kędzierzyn -Koźle, but to achieve this connection, at least 80 kilometers of a tall, artificial canal would still need to be built.
The only truly genuine waterway, the Oder, requires serious modernization. It's no secret that canalization began in the era of Frederick the Great. At that time, its length was shortened by approximately 200 km. Some devices, such as locks, culverts, and so on, from that era are still in use today and are now significantly outdated. The main obstacles on the Oder waterway are the culverts and clearances under bridges and viaducts. Due to the low suspension of bridges in the Wrocław area and the increasing silting of the river, container transport is only possible in a single layer on the lower deck, meaning 6-8 20-foot containers on a single barge. This volume of transport does not guarantee profitability. On waterways in the West, and also in Russia, containers are transported in two or even three layers.
In the final stages of the 1970s, an idea , or even a concrete plan, emerged to connect the upper reaches of the Vistula and Oder rivers. The idea was to build a canal suitable for 750-ton barges from the newly built inland port in Tychy-Bijasowice, naturally to Gliwice. This was connected to the "Vistula" program, which was to channel the entire Vistula within approximately 15 years, construct at least eight large dams and reservoirs, and 16-19 barrages. This would then enable the Vistula to become a mid-range waterway. Unfortunately, the program remained largely on paper. In reality, as far as the port was concerned, only the port basins in the southern part of Tychy were built. One of the large dams, Włocławek, was also constructed. Several barrages were also built on the upper Vistula, including Dębniki and Kościuszko near Kraków, but that was about it. [7]The matter therefore remains open; whether the "Wisła" programme will be returned to is rather doubtful.
Trail administration and legal issues
In our country, legal dualism persists when it comes to navigable waterways. The waterways themselves are state-owned. The Ministry of the Environment, however, serves as the administrator of these waterways. The diffusion of interests between these two entities is obvious, as the Ministry of the Environment, which is formally responsible for implementing water construction projects and regulating and maintaining inland waterways, absolutely does not represent the interests of the economy, i.e., the State Treasury. Theoretically, the Ministry carries out its tasks through Regional Water Management Boards, but the capabilities and resources available to the latter are disproportionately limited.
The general principles and conditions for navigation on inland waterways in Poland are outlined in the Inland Navigation Act and the Water Law. The former specifies the conditions for navigation, obligations regarding waterway maintenance, and so on.
Water law, in turn, regulates the conditions for using waterways. It is important to obtain permission from the relevant voivode to use specific waters.
The legal basis for the provision of transport services by inland waterway shipowners on the domestic market is provided by the following provisions:
- Civil Code, which in Articles 774-804 regulate the transport of persons and goods by authorized carriers,
- Acts: Transport Law, which regulate the principles of commercial transport by authorized carriers,
- regulation on the transport of hazardous materials by inland waterway vessels.
A binding element of transport policy regulating supply-side principles are the rules governing access to the carrier profession, which determine the right to establish a transport company. In the European Union, access to the carrier profession in national and international inland navigation is regulated by a directive that specifies the principles and conditions available to the carrier profession, as well as the mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates, and other evidence of formal qualifications. Another directive, in turn, specifies the conditions for obtaining licenses and their recognition for inland waterway vessels themselves.
As part of its adaptation to EU law, Polish law has introduced new implementing provisions to the Act since the beginning of 2002, pursuant to which certificates of compliance with professional capacity requirements are issued in Poland so that they can be recognised on a reciprocal basis in EU countries.
This capacity requirement, however, does not apply to navigation on many Polish routes that have not been recognised as navigable, for own needs and those on which goods are transported by vessels with a carrying capacity not exceeding 200 GRT.
Since 2004, all EU countries, including the newly admitted ones, have standardised the procedures and pragmatics of passenger and cargo shipping, including cabotage, in another Member State.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Inland Waterway Transport Act, transport activities by inland waterway vessels may be carried out by a person who meets at least one of the following conditions:
- completion of a higher education institution with a specialization in transport,
- completion of secondary school with a specialization in inland navigation,
- having professional qualifications to hold the position of manager of a ship with a capacity of over 200 tons,
- completing a course whose program includes topics related to inland navigation,
- conducting transport activities in inland waterways for at least two years or working in this type of entity.[8]
Inland waterway vessels
In European Union countries, inland waterway vessels are required to have a navigability certificate. Such certificates are issued to cargo vessels with a deadweight tonnage exceeding 15 tons, passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people, and tugboats and pusher craft.
This certificate also covers the vessel's operating area. In Poland, there are four such areas:
- the area of bays, marked with 1 (one), where the wave does not exceed 2 m. These are the Bay of Gdańsk and the Bay of Pomerania,
- the flood-lake area, marked with the symbol 2, where waves up to 1.2 m high may occur. These include: the Vistula Lagoon, the Szczecin Lagoon and the Bay of Puck, the Włocławek Reservoir and all Masurian lakes: Śniardwy, Niegocin, Mamry, and Wigry,
- area with symbol 3, in which the wave does not exceed 0.6 m: this range includes all navigable rivers, canals, sea ports and all other lakes,
- area with symbol 4, i.e. all other waters not considered navigable.[9]
The structure of the Polish inland waterway fleet, however, is significantly outdated, both in terms of the age of the vessels and the type of technology used. The problem is that in Europe and Russia, motor barges (barges with their own propulsion) are already dominant, as they are the most mobile and economical means of transport. This type accounts for over 70% of vessels in Europe.
The average capacity of a barge in Europe is 1,550 tons. Since 2001, standardized "Europa" barges with a tonnage of 2,100 tons have been widely used. This type of barge could also navigate the Oder River from Brzeg Dolny to Szczecin, but it would not fit under low-slung bridges. For comparison, its capacity is 54 cars, each with a capacity of 40 tons.
In Europe, specialized barges are also widely used, such as chemical tankers, tankers, ro-ro ships, semi-container ships and container ships, as well as, which is very economical, sea-river ships.
In Poland, the dominant barge is the 500-ton barge. There are also many 300-ton barges. As we've already mentioned, the vast majority of barges used in Poland are unpowered – they are designed for pushboats, but this technology is now obsolete. Furthermore, there are virtually no specialized barges; almost all the fleet consists of barges designed for the transport of bulk goods.
Another problem is the advanced age of barges and pushboats. Between 1990 and 1996, the number of both motorized and non-motorized barges decreased by more than half, from approximately 1,400 to just 600. It is estimated that a barge is depreciated by 22 years. In 2010, over 80% of barges had already reached this age. Among the approximately 130 pushboats still in operation, the situation is even worse with age and depreciation. Furthermore, pushboats are only suitable for waves no greater than about 80 cm. Often, due to slightly higher waves, they cannot guide barges from Szczecin to Świnoujście.
To rebuild the river fleet, an inland navigation fund was established in 2002 , providing preferential loans to shipowners for the purchase of new or modernization of existing vessels. So far, the largest loans have been used by Odratrans and Żegluga Bydgoska, and the fund can only support the purchase of approximately 60 vessels per year.
Upon joining the EU, Poland committed to limiting the supply of inland waterway vessels. In practice, this means that new vessels can only be purchased to replace scrapped ones.
Transport documents and contracts
In international inland navigation, the basic transport document is the bill of lading.
Cabotage shipping conducted by Polish shipowners within the EU requires a loading document. This type of document is issued on behalf of the Polish shipowner by its representative in Western Europe.
Within the country, the basis is the waybill, but a bill of lading can also be used as a substitute, and is increasingly used in practice.
can also be concluded in more detail. Charters are agreements where the charterer rents part or all of a vessel to carry cargo on a precisely defined route. Charter agreements can also be concluded for the rental of a vessel for a specified period. Such agreements are also used by shipowners with crews: the captain or the entire crew signs a charter agreement and conducts economic activities. These agreements are limited in scope because the shipowner usually provides the cargo. Booking, on the other hand, involves declaring the intention to transport cargo entrusted to the shipowner.
Freight prices are contractual and determined individually by each shipowner. Freight rates are most often calculated based on one ton of cargo.
Inland navigation and safety issues
Each mode of transport, as mentioned above, has its strengths and weaknesses. A weakness of inland navigation, objectively speaking, is the issue of weather conditions. For example, winter conditions often combine with ice cover on reservoirs. Here, of course, safety parameters must be considered. River icebreakers are used on some major waterways. This is both safe and economically viable. However, on Poland's main transportation artery, the Oder River, icebreakers also operate, but only to clear the ice flow, as cargo shipping is suspended for approximately four months. This does not bode well for inland navigation. Both flooding and drought also complicate navigation conditions. It is true that irrigation facilities in the form of dams, locks, and culverts exist and operate on a number of waterways. All of these, while constituting important components of waterway infrastructure, are expensive, particularly in construction and less in maintenance. When comparing the costs of building and maintaining water and land transport infrastructure, the calculation clearly favors the former.
Similarly, transport in the strict sense. Where fast delivery isn't necessary, water transport clearly wins in terms of economy and economic security.
The question that needs to be asked is whether inland waterway transport might also be subject to threats from attacks, terrorism, etc. Theoretically, the answer must be affirmative, as there is practically no environment where such threats can be completely eliminated. However, the aquatic environment is, by definition, a barrier, making it difficult, or at least significantly more difficult, to prepare, implement, etc. Objects such as dams, locks, and a number of others, not to mention the means of transport themselves—broadly defined, ships and barges—can be relatively easily secured, as can the rest of the waterways.
In conclusion, inland waterway transport, underestimated in Poland , is not only competitive with land transport. It is also significantly safer in all aspects of the term. In terms of realities and praxeological principles, a higher-level entity, such as a state or the European Union, should strive to create a substitute transport network. It is obvious that, despite engineering efforts, not everywhere is accessible. Therefore, land and inland waterway transport should naturally complement each other. This will also naturally ensure significantly improved safety conditions.
Author: Eugeniusz Januła; Reserve Colonel, academic lecturer, independent publicist, chairman of the Association; Poland-Europe XXI, Member of Parliament of the 2nd term.
[1] E .Januła .T, Truś .Transport and Forwarding.Difin.Warszawa.2012.p.116 et seq.
[2] E.Janula.T.Truś.Ż.Gutowska.Shipment.Difin.Warszawa.2011.p.134 et seq.
[3] E. Hornig. Waterways in Upper Silesia./w/Zaranie Śląskie.no.7/1956.pp.45-52
[4] E. Januła. T. Truś. War and Communication, /w/Transport and Communication.n2.3/2008
[5] E. Januła. T. Truś. Forwarding… pp. 142-144
[6] For more information, see .E .Januła .T .Truś .Transport……p. 121 et seq.
[7] More broadly. E. Januła. T. Truś. Ż. Gutowska. Forwarding… p. 146 et seq.
[8] Ibidem. p. 161
[9] Ibidem.p.164