Rails without borders. ArcelorMittal Poland launches express sea transport to Scandinavia

ArcelorMittal Poland is revolutionizing the transport of its long rails to Scandinavia. A shipment of 260 tons of 120-meter rails and 520 tons of 60-meter rails reached Swedish customers through a remarkable logistical operation. The rails departed from the steel plant in Dąbrowa Górnicza, traveled by rail to Świnoujście, and, without reloading, rolled directly onto a special rail ferry bound for Ystad.

Kamil Kusier executive editor 15.03.2025, 20:20 Reading time: 2 min

Flatbed railcars loaded with long steel rails on board a rail ferry — fot. ArcelorMittal Poland

In brief

ArcelorMittal Poland shipped 260 tonnes of 120-metre rails and 520 tonnes of 60-metre rails to Sweden using the reopened Świnoujście to Ystad rail ferry connection, which had been out of service since 2019. The rails from the steelworks in Dąbrowa Górnicza reached Świnoujście by rail and rolled onto the ferry without transshipment. ArcelorMittal Poland estimates deliveries to Scandinavia via the new route at up to 25 thousand tonnes of long rails per year. ArcelorMittal Poland CEO Wojciech Koszuta noted that more than 40 percent of finished products reach customers by rail.

This transport was made possible by the reopening of the Świnoujście-Ystad rail ferry route, inactive since 2019.

– This is great news for us because, until now, we had to transport rails to customers in this region via a longer route through Germany and the port of Rostock, explains Witold Hickiewicz, logistics project manager at ArcelorMittal Poland.

25,000 tons annually

The company estimates that, thanks to this new route, it will deliver up to 25,000 tons of long rails to Scandinavia annually.

– We are proud that our efforts have paid off. This year and in the coming years, we plan to ship the majority of long rail orders to Scandinavian countries via the ferry from Świnoujście, emphasizes Maciej Graczyk, head of procurement responsible for rail logistics.

ArcelorMittal Poland’s Dąbrowa Górnicza plant produces various rail profiles meeting international standards. Last year, the company introduced a new hardened-head rail into commercial production. According to company representatives, nearly 100% of long products are transported by rail.

Sustainable logistics in action

Rail transport of steel rails offers not only efficiency but also environmental benefits.

– More than 40% of our finished products are delivered to customers by rail. This form of transport is significantly less carbon-intensive. We are excited to now provide faster deliveries of our products via rail ferries, says Wojciech Koszuta, CEO and general director of ArcelorMittal Poland.

The company is also testing modern, low-emission solutions for road transport.

– We have conducted tests with electric trucks, HVO-powered vehicles, and most recently, biogas trucks. Reducing the environmental impact of transport is an integral part of our decarbonization strategy, adds Wojciech Koszuta.

The new rail-ferry route marks not only a breakthrough for ArcelorMittal Poland but also an opportunity to streamline deliveries and reduce the carbon footprint of heavy steel product transport to Scandinavian markets.

Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier