Poland's seaports are shifting focus toward accessibility and multimodal connectivity following growth in cargo volumes that has highlighted limits in road, rail, and border infrastructure. The topic was discussed during a session on seaport challenges and priorities at the European Economic Congress.
The Port of Gdańsk handled 80.4 million tons of cargo in 2025, a 4 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Winter conditions affected overall performance.
The Baltic Hub container terminal handled 2.7 million TEUs in 2025, a 23 per cent year-on-year increase. Katarzyna Szczycińska, acting director of Strategy and Development at the Port of Gdańsk Authority, said this pace of growth is difficult to match among European terminals.
In the first quarter of 2026, Baltic Hub recorded a further 22 per cent increase in cargo handling compared to the same period last year.
Expansion plans include extending storage yards and quays, and constructing a second seven-track railway siding with 750-metre tracks. At full development, the terminal is expected to handle close to 7 million TEUs annually.
Szczycińska stated that achieving this capacity depends on investment in rail and road infrastructure to support container flows to and from the port.
A constraint identified is the outer port's reliance on a single road bridge and a single railway bridge, despite handling around 80 per cent of total cargo. Plans for a second road and rail connection have entered the conceptual phase, with a timeline of three years to begin design work.
Development of a new rail link in partnership with PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe is also under discussion. An Integrated Border Control Point is planned to cover more than 90 per cent of Baltic Hub cargo.
Plans for deep-water container terminals in Gdynia and Świnoujście were also discussed. Rafał Zahorski of the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports said analyses show no overlap in cargo handling profiles among the main ports.
Cooperation between ports is formalised through the Polish Ports partnership, signed at the Polish Ports Congress in Sopot, focusing on infrastructure, process alignment, and shared market analysis.
Source: Container News
