Samskip says it has added over 10% capacity to its multimodal connections between Germany and Scandinavia as a result of launching three-times weekly block train services connecting Duisburg and Rostock together with Hector Rail.
The all-electric train service links the Duisburg Hohenbudberg terminal and the Rostock Trimodal terminal for coordination with the port’s ro-ro ferry services.
According to Samskip, this creates additional new routing option to connect Germany’s Ruhr area and the south-east of the Netherlands with Sweden’s key Stockholm/Gävle/Örebro/Jönköping region, Finland and other Baltic markets.
Departing from Duisburg on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the 700m length trains arrive in Rostock on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to coincide with Hansa Destination ferry connections to Nynäshamn (south of Stockholm).
The Duisburg-Rostock rail link also means Samskip can offer additional service options direct into southern Sweden and Finland by coordinating with separate daily ferry departures to Trelleborg, Kotka, Hanka and Rauma.
Commenting on the announcement, Gert-Jan Meijer, Samskip’s Head of Trade for Sweden, said:
“There has been a clear need to increase capacity between Germany and Scandinavia based on growing trade volumes and new requests, but high diesel prices and continuing driver shortages are also steering more cargo away from the road. Offering an additional high-frequency service option consolidates the competitive edge that multimodal has over road haulage in terms of reliability in the supply chain.”
Thomas Vitte, Commercial Manager of Hector Rail GmbH, added:
“Through this broader service offer it will be possible to attract more cargo to rail with an even more competitive and efficient product, thereby enhancing sustainable transport solutions between Germany and Scandinavia.”
Photo: BAW_Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau / Flickr / CC BY 2.0