Metrans warns of uncertainty for intermodal services to and via Hungary in 2022
Czech rail freight operator Metrans with the Europe-wide network has warned the customers of the unpredictability of prices for intermodal services that run to or via Hungary. The key reason for the situation is the planned increase of traction energy prices in the country. Metrans and MÁV, the Hungarian rail infrastructure manager, are still discussing the issue.
The upcoming year of 2022 could be challengeable for railway undertakings that move containers and other types of freight to/from or via Hungary. Last week, on 21 December, Metrans, the Czech company with a well-developed network of intermodal connections in Central Eastern Europe, informed its customers about the planned increase of traction energy prices in the mentioned country by the national rail infrastructure manager. “The increase of 300 per cent, maybe even more, is an unpredicted, unacceptable and disastrous fact for the whole railway sector having a major impact on our cost calculation,” the operator stated in its newsletter for business partners.
Stable prices for January 2022
A week later, on 29 December, Metrans released another statement with a notice that the situation is still unclear. “The discussions with the state authority, Hungarian infrastructure operator MÁV are still in process and the outcome is still unknown. We have received only a notice that further information will be presented to the sector in January 2022,” the railway undertaking specified. In spite of this, the Czech company has decided to freeze the current rates until the end of January 2022. This option will be available for services to and from Hungary as well as the transit connections.
Bad economic conditions
If there is any result related to traction energy prices in Hungary, Metrans will issue another statement about the increase of cost of its intermodal services. Meanwhile, the Czechia-based operator specified that this could be put into practice earlier. “Metrans reserves the right to accommodate the prices unilaterally in case of bad economic conditions: devaluation of euro against koruna/zloty/forint by more than 10 per cent; fuel price increase by more than 15 per cent; inflation more than 7 per cent and traction electricity increase according to the transiting country by more than 15 per cent,” the Czech company summed up.