The Port of Kiel has extended its services in combined traffic by establishing a new direct train connection between Kiel and the Adriatic port of Trieste in Northern Italy.
Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at the Port of Kiel said “This is a milestone for Kiel as a logistics hub. The train is an ideal link for rapid freight transport between the Baltic and the Eastern Mediterranean Seas.” The destinations of the train – Kiel and Trieste – are both important points of departure for efficient ferry lines to Scandinavia and to Turkey. The direct train connection was initiated by the logistics company EKOL. Stena Line, who transports the goods from and to Sweden with its ships, also accompanied the project right from the start and contributed decisively to its realisation.
The maiden voyage for the train started in Trieste on January 25 2017 and arrived at 1 p.m. the next day (January 27) in Kiel. The service consists of sixteen double pocket wagons and can transport as many as 32 load units.
To begin with, the rail connection will run once a week in both directions. The train departs from Italy every Wednesday at 11 a.m. and arrives at Kiel’s Schwedenkai the following Thursday, with a transit time of 1,360 km in 26 hours. The service also features a direct connection to Stena Line’s ferries, reaching the Swedish port of Gothenburg on Friday morning at 9:15 a.m. Cargo units for Denmark and Northern Germany are directly taken on by trucks.
Commenting on the journey, Dirk Claus said “The goods are distributed from Kiel to their recipients in Northern Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Our Schwedenkai is strengthening its position as a hub in Northern Europe.”
After an initial trial phase of several weeks, the train will operate a regular service which will begin after Easter. Depending on demand, the schedule can later be extended to two arrivals and departures a week at every destination.
Dirk Claus praised the project saying, “Business partners from four European countries have been working with great commitment to the project for several months. In particular, I want to thank our Turkish partner for the good and trustful cooperation. I am convinced that intermodal transport between the Baltic region and the Mediterranean will keep getting more and more important. The direct train link from Trieste to Kiel opens up totally new transport opportunities.” Last year alone, there were more than 29,000 unit loads handled via Kiel in combined transport for the first time.
