RailFreight 2023 Market Monitor survey

To wrap up 2023, RailFreight.com is conducting a survey amongst employers and employees in the industry. This way, we would like to get a good picture of how the sector views important developments. The survey is completely anonymous. It will take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The results will be shared in the end-of-year article series on RailFreight.com. The survey consists of 20 questions. You do not have to answer all of them: if a question does not apply to you or if you prefer not to answer a question, you can skip it.

The editors of RailFreight.com thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Question Title

* 1. Which segment of the rail freight industry do you represent?

Shipper

Cargo forwarder

Customs broker

Consultancy

Academic

Student

Logistics provider

Railway Undertaking

Infrastructure Manager

Rail operator

Terminal operator

Intermodal operator

Combined transport operator

Investor

Rolling stock maintenance

Rolling stock manufacturing

Wagon leasing company

Locomotive leasing company

Policy

Lobbying

Provider in technology/digitalisation

Container leasing company

Other (please specify)

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* 2. What is your job title?

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* 3. What was your sentiment towards the industry in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 4. How would you rate the industry’s overall performance in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 5. How would you rate your business segment’s performance in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 6. How would you rate your company’s performance in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 7. How do you expect the industry to perform in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 8. How do you expect your business segment to perform in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 9. How do you expect your company to perform in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 10. What were the main challenges the industry faced during 2023?
(Choose a maximum of 3 main challenges)

Increased competition with road transport

Infrastructure disruptions

Lack of new infrastructure

Capacity inadequacies

Overall higher costs (e.g. energy)

Geopolitical challenges

Insufficient policy implementation

Strikes

Driver shortages

Low sea rates

Equipment scarcity

High rolling stock prices

Competition with state-owned operators

Strategic re-focus of Silk Road businesses

Other (please specify)

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* 11. How much have the challenges mentioned above affected the industry overall?
(1 being the lowest level of effect, 10 being the highest level of effect)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 12. In what ways have the challenges discussed above affected the industry?
(Choose a maximum of 3 main ways)

More expensive operations

Decreased customer satisfaction

Decreased customer trust

Long-term customer loss

Loss of business due to impaired routes (Europe/Eurasia)

Longer transit times

Decreased demand

Dropping single wagonload volumes

Overall dropping volumes

Shift to road transport

Shift to sea transport

Less attractive for new employees

Less attractive for investors

Decreased profitability

Decreased workforce

Other (please specify)

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* 13. How well-prepared is the industry for disruptions due to infrastructure upgrades in Germany in the summer of 2024?
(1 being not well prepared at all, 10 being very well prepared)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 14. Shall the EU make cooperation among rail infrastructure managers in Europe more concrete with stricter regulations when it comes to cross-border traffic?

Yes

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 15. How do you rate your sentiment for the Silk Road in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 16. How do you rate your sentiment for the Silk Road in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 17. Is the following statement true?
After a recession, the Silk Road business has stabilised, and every company has found its market share. The growth potential is still there.

True

False

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

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* 18. Do you see the New Silk Road volumes decreasing, increasing or stabilising in 2024? Please provide your estimation of de/increase in %.

-100%

100%

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Question Title

* 19. What is the biggest challenge for the Eurasian rail industry in the next 5 years?
(Choose a maximum of 3 biggest challenges)

Route reorientation

Placing niche and tailored solutions in the market

Lack of subsidies

Sea transport rates

EU’s China-related policies (reducing trade dependency)

Geopolitics

Infrastructure

Other (please specify)

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* 20. Will the investments Poland has made so far on the Silk Road (terminals, border crossings, railway lines) pay off in the future?

Yes

[OPTIONAL] Shortly explain your answer.

Question Title

* 21. We would like to use some of the comments for our publication on the end-of-year survey. Can we use yours and maybe get in contact for more information? Then please fill in the form below. Beware that your answers will no longer be anonymous but still will be used with care/prudence:

Name

Company

Email Address

Phone Number

Thank you for answering the survey!

RailFreight 2023 Market Monitor survey

Question Title

* 1. Which segment of the rail freight industry do you represent?

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* 2. What is your job title?

Question Title

* 3. What was your sentiment towards the industry in 2023? (1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

Question Title

* 4. How would you rate the industry’s overall performance in 2023?(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

Question Title

* 5. How would you rate your business segment’s performance in 2023?(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

Question Title

* 6. How would you rate your company’s performance in 2023?(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

Question Title

* 7. How do you expect the industry to perform in 2024?(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

Question Title

* 8. How do you expect your business segment to perform in 2024?(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

Question Title

* 9. How do you expect your company to perform in 2024?(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

Question Title

* 10. What were the main challenges the industry faced during 2023?(Choose a maximum of 3 main challenges)

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* 11. How much have the challenges mentioned above affected the industry overall? (1 being the lowest level of effect, 10 being the highest level of effect)

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* 12. In what ways have the challenges discussed above affected the industry? (Choose a maximum of 3 main ways)

Question Title

* 13. How well-prepared is the industry for disruptions due to infrastructure upgrades in Germany in the summer of 2024?(1 being not well prepared at all, 10 being very well prepared)

Question Title

* 14. Shall the EU make cooperation among rail infrastructure managers in Europe more concrete with stricter regulations when it comes to cross-border traffic?

Question Title

* 15. How do you rate your sentiment for the Silk Road in 2023?(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

Question Title

* 16. How do you rate your sentiment for the Silk Road in 2024?(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

Question Title

* 17. Is the following statement true? After a recession, the Silk Road business has stabilised, and every company has found its market share. The growth potential is still there.

Question Title

* 18. Do you see the New Silk Road volumes decreasing, increasing or stabilising in 2024? Please provide your estimation of de/increase in %.

Question Title

* 19. What is the biggest challenge for the Eurasian rail industry in the next 5 years?(Choose a maximum of 3 biggest challenges)

Question Title

* 20. Will the investments Poland has made so far on the Silk Road (terminals, border crossings, railway lines) pay off in the future?

Question Title

* 21. We would like to use some of the comments for our publication on the end-of-year survey. Can we use yours and maybe get in contact for more information? Then please fill in the form below. Beware that your answers will no longer be anonymous but still will be used with care/prudence:

* 3. What was your sentiment towards the industry in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

* 4. How would you rate the industry’s overall performance in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

* 5. How would you rate your business segment’s performance in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

* 6. How would you rate your company’s performance in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

* 7. How do you expect the industry to perform in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

* 8. How do you expect your business segment to perform in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

* 9. How do you expect your company to perform in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of performance, 10 being the highest level of performance)

* 10. What were the main challenges the industry faced during 2023?
(Choose a maximum of 3 main challenges)

* 11. How much have the challenges mentioned above affected the industry overall?
(1 being the lowest level of effect, 10 being the highest level of effect)

* 12. In what ways have the challenges discussed above affected the industry?
(Choose a maximum of 3 main ways)

* 13. How well-prepared is the industry for disruptions due to infrastructure upgrades in Germany in the summer of 2024?
(1 being not well prepared at all, 10 being very well prepared)

* 15. How do you rate your sentiment for the Silk Road in 2023?
(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

* 16. How do you rate your sentiment for the Silk Road in 2024?
(1 being the lowest level of sentiment, 10 being the highest level of sentiment)

* 17. Is the following statement true?
After a recession, the Silk Road business has stabilised, and every company has found its market share. The growth potential is still there.

* 19. What is the biggest challenge for the Eurasian rail industry in the next 5 years?
(Choose a maximum of 3 biggest challenges)