IMPROVING SEAPORT COMPETITIVENESS BY CREATING ACONNECTION TO THE NATIONAL RAIL NETWORK

Abstract

This article discusses the issue of seaport competitiveness. This is one of the most important issues in port studies. Conducting a port competitiveness analysis focuses on comparing components of port competitiveness for selected ports or terminals. First, a comparative analysis of selected seaports was performed in the article, followed by a detailed analysis of selected terminals in indicated ports.The main purpose of the article is to assess the effect of the new investment in the seaport in the town of Police (the construction of the railway connection with the national network) on its competitive position in relation to seaports in the immediate vicinity.To achieve the assumed goal, the following research methods were used: literature review, documentary method, linear weighting method,and variant analysis. The areascovered by the research study are selective seaports in Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship (Szczecin, Świnoujście, and Police), Poland. Based on the research studies completed so far, it wasshown that connecting a seaport with the national rail network may be a significant factor affecting the port’s competitiveness in relation to the ports located in the direct vicinity.

Keywords

• seaport competitiveness
• railway
• seaport management
• transport management
• transport infrastructure