Transport and warehouse management contribute to the creation of GDP. This branch of the economy is very sensitive to the current economic situation. Its high turnover results in an increase in socio-economic development with a certain delay. But if it doesn't have enough work, we can expect an economic recession. In our country, transport and storage account for approx. 6% of GDP. From year to year, this indicator increases slightly (5.3% in 2010). The department of these specific services employed approx. 709 thousand people in 2018, when 10 years ago it was by 106 thousand people less. The transport fleet is improving, both in terms of numbers and quality. In the years 2007–2018, the transport performance in cargo transport increased significantly with a decrease in the transport of passengers in mass transport. There are more and more specialized warehouse spaces (warehouses, silos, cold stores). All in all, this industry is slowly becoming a Polish specialty. Our economy and society benefit from it, because GDP grows all the time along with its development.

Transportation, next to agriculture and trade was one of the first areas covered by the common policy of the European Union. The consequence of dynamic socioeconomic changes and integration processes of this grouping was re-evaluation of the realized goals and investment priorities as well as development needs of different modes of transport, including rail freight.

Member states, although they have sovereign transport policies, wanting to co-create the transport system must try to follow these changes and include them in national transport policies. In this article was analyzed the goals and their impact on the functioning of the polish rail cargo market in the years 1980–2018.