New Elbe Terminal between Dresden and Prague

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG’s Intermodal subsidiary Metrans has put its ninth terminal into operation. Since the beginning of the year, Metrans runs a new inland terminal in Usti nad Labem in North Bohemia, an important European hub for freight flows. Thus Metrans also improves its
services for the industrial areas and agglomerations of North Bohemia and South-East Saxony. The Usti nad Labem terminal lies directly on the main rail line between the German seaports and the Metrans hub terminal in Prague, the inland hub serving the Czech Republic. Thus the terminal has up to six daily connections with the Port of Hamburg. Between Usti nad Labem and the Czech Metrans hub terminal in Ceska Trebova, there are also daily departures. Located directly at the interface between the German seaports and Prague the terminal is the ideal point for shunting operations. Trains on this stretch can be combined with other railcars or car groups without the need to divert to remote marshalling yards.

This time saving enhances the facility’s attraction. Similarly Metrans can handle cargo from the North Bohemia and South-East Saxony regions with much less effort than previously. As the Czech name indicates Usti nad Labem, formerly Aussig, lies on the Elbe. The terminal is multi-modal, meaning it can handle inland water vessels as well as trucks and trains. It also has an excellent connection with the nearby Dresden to Prague motorway.

The terminal has two areas: one of around 7,000 square metres with three 120-metre rail sidings, equipped with a rail gantry crane covering a 40-metre span. The second, around 6,000 square metres with a 400-metre rail siding, is served by two reach-stackers. Klaus-Dieter Peters, Chairman of the Executive Board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), explains: “By putting the Usti nad Labem terminal into operation we are developing our already successful hinterland services even further.

We are optimizing the transport chain between the seaports and the central European hinterland. To do this, we rely on our own facilities and rolling stock. Very favourable growth figures for our intermodal subsidiary Metrans underline this strategy.

With the new Usti nad Labem terminal we are expanding our market position further.” Jiri Samek, Managing Director of the Metrans Group, points out the advantages: “With the Usti nad Labem terminal we are connecting the dynamic North Bohemia and South-East Saxony growth regions closer to the Metrans network. This is especially valuable for the customers who have up to now used trucks to Hamburg or Prague.

We can offer them an economically attractive and ecologically worthwile service.” In October the Metrans Group took delivery of the first of twenty new TRAXX multi-system locomotives. They will primarily be used between Hamburg/Bremerhaven and the Czech Republic, Slovakia as well as Hungary.