CARGO BUSINESS 1-10.indd - ZSSK Cargo

ostí, ale môjho vzťahu k železnici
Interview with general representative of ZSSK CARGO in
Poland Mr. Ivan Ružbacký
In April last year, there was a change in the general representative
position in Warsaw. Mr. Jiří Hanzal - an expert in rail traffic of many
years, was replaced by a graduate of humanistic sciences in Poland -
Mr. Ivan Ružbacký. It is therefore quite natural that we first asked him
where he found the courage to take over this office.
- I did not undertake this post as a fresh university graduate, but later,
after having gained relevant experience as an assistant of general
representative in Poland. I have been living in Poland for almost twelve
years and I know the Polish life and institutions. Thanks to Mr. Hanzal,
who I respect very much, I could quickly become familiar with the
issues of freight traffic. I would also like to mention that this is not just
a question of my abilities, but of my relationship to railway, since my
grandfathers, my father as well as my uncles used to work in railways;
my grandfathers as engine drivers, my father as a conductor and my
uncles as engine drivers. I was supposed to become a railwayman
too. I completed a Secondary Industrial School –majoring in electrical
engineering in transport and communications, with my field of study
being electric traction and power engineering in transport. After
I completed my secondary school, I decided to go to Poland to study
humanistic sciences.
I assumed I was going to say goodbye to the tradition of railways.
Sometimes one has certain plans, but life brings along the changes.
I had no idea I would ever get back to railways. After my university
studies, I taught at the elementary school, then I worked at the Slovak
Institute, which is part of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in
Poland. In April 2008, I entered a job in ZSSK CARGO as an assistant
of general representative.
You have been a general representative of ZSSK CARGO in Poland
since 1. April 2009. What ideas did you have when taking this office
- It was a big challenge for me. I knew that it would not be easy. Every
day brings new issues to be resolved. I wanted to keep going and
continue working the way Mr. Hanzal had already started. And of
course, I wanted to provide our customers with prompt services and
services of high quality, to maintain good reputation of our company.
Another challenge for me was to acquire new customers, to strengthen
good relations with PKP Cargo and to increase use of border crossings
with Poland.
How could you assess the cooperation with our biggest Polish partner
PKP Cargo, S. A. from your perspective
- As any representative, I would like to maintain good relationships
with our customers. PKP Cargo is not only our customer, but also
a partner, and therefore I am doing my best to maintain relationships
above standards. Communication, mutual support and cooperation
in trade and operation area are at a high level and they are constantly
improving.
Did the crisis have an impact on a number of transportations in
2009 How do you see the future
- Decline in volumes from Poland to Slovakia for 2009 is around 36%
and from Slovakia to Poland approximately 27.6%. It was influenced
not only by the crisis but also by value of the Euro in Poland. In the
previous year, value of the Polish zloty for the Euro increased by
a third, which negatively affected import to Poland. Following the
adoption of the Euro in Slovakia, our transport services became
more expensive as well. Many transit transportations from north to
south and back were carried out via Czech Republic or from east to
west across Poland. There is a great chance to increase the number
of transportations in 2010 and that in import of building materials
for construction of roads and highways in the Polish territory. This
is something I counted in last year, however the crisis postponed
everything.
I hope that this year the Poles will commence their building activities
and will import necessary materials also from Slovakia. For Slovakia,
Poland is also slowly becoming a transit country from and to Russia.
Transportations, which used to be carried out via Ukraine, were moved
to Poland. There are also opportunities for Polish sea ports to be used
for transportations. Their better use and interconnection to railroads
can increase the number of transportations not only in Poland but also
in Slovakia. Regarding the possibilities of transportations this year,
I would be happy if 2010 was just as 2008, but due to the continuing
crisis, it probably will not be possible. But anyway I hope that the
situation will be better than last year.
Thank you for the interview.
Svetlana BELEJOVÁ
What were your main achievements in the previous year 2009 in
Poland
- It was a lot and I succeeded only thanks to our people and people
of Polish Cargo. The approval of Polish Railway Regulatory Authority,
concerning the operation of Slovak locomotives of 131 series in
Poland, will have a great impact on further improvement of quality
of provided services. At the beginning of the year, after a year of
negotiations, we managed to obtain an approval for one locomotive,
which was adjusted for operation on Polish railroads. By the end of
the year, another 8 locomotives of 131 series were approved and
tested. After completion of the Polish language course, ten drivers had
a medical check-up in Poland and then they were re-trained according
to Polish regulations. We were able to obtain an approval from the
Polish infrastructure to carry out transportation of block train, 600
meters long, via border crossing station Skalité, where the train length
is limited to 300 meters, to Černjachovsk in the Kaliningrad region in
Russia. Currently, it is only one journey per day, but I hope that in the
future we will not have to divide trains anymore.
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