TobiasM0815

Rail freight transport in Europe has two categories. There are so-called single wagon trains and block trains.
The concept of single-car trains works like this:
There is a transfer train for each railway line, which fetches wagons from the sidings on this line and brings them to the marshalling yard. Sometimes there are only 1-2 cars per siding. The train is quite long at the marshalling yard because there are usually many sidings on the route.
There the train locomotive is uncoupled and all couplings are released, a shunting locomotive pushes the wagons over the "mountain". In rolling, the cars are now sorted according to direction.
At the end, corresponding connecting trains between marshalling yards come out on all tracks. One of these transfer trains is now driving to a new marshalling yard. There it is broken up again over the "mountain" into the respective transfer trains. Which then drive back onto the tracks and deliver the wagons to the sidings, pick up new ones there and everything starts again.
 
Block trains are easier:
A very large amount of freight is transported in the same type of wagon from point A (loading) to point B (unloading), on the way at most wagon groups are rearranged or discarded.
 
 
Situation in Poland today:
There are actually many more passenger trains than freight trains.
Single wagon traffic has come to an almost complete standstill. The classic transfer trains no longer exist. The marshalling yards are usually used to park wagons that are not required.
Most freight trains are block trains (coal, ores, steel, cement, crushed stone), etc.
However, there are countries in Europe where single-wagon transport is not dead and is currently becoming even more attractive thanks to good marketing. As an example Czech Republic and Germany. In Slovakia, too, there is still a lot going on at marshalling yards.