Port of Hamburg welcomes line upgrade in the port’s hinterland

The Authority for Economic Affairs, Transport and Innovation (BWVI) of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) welcome the upgrade of the rail line between Stendal and Uelzen. At the turn of the year, Deutsche Bahn and the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs signed the relevant agreement. The two parties intend to invest a total of around 57 million euros in the rail line. Upgrading the route to a double track line sets an important signal for the Port of Hamburg.

Hamburg Senator for Economic Affairs Frank Horch: “The Port Railway is an extraordinarily important element of the port’s connection with the hinterland, and it is indispensable for rapid and efficient transportation of the goods transhipped through the port. Today, more than 30 per cent of all freight is carried by rail to and from the hinterland of the Port of Hamburg, to central and southern Germany, to the Czech Republic and Poland and into the Alpine region. Germany’s export sector, a driving force for the national economy, is particularly reliant on efficient transport links between ports and the hinterland. The federal government’s decision to invest in the upgrade of the Stendal–Uelzen line is in recognition of that fact, and it highlights the national importance of the Port of Hamburg.”

Harald Kreft, head of the Port Railway and member of the Management Board of the HPA: “The upgrade of the Stendal–Uelzen lines will strengthen the rail links between the Port of Hamburg and its most important markets in the hinterland in eastern and central Europe. We are delighted that the federal government and DB Netz AG will be making a major contribution to the development of Germany's seaports. Additional efforts will be needed in the coming years, however, if we are to manage the increasing volumes of goods carried in the hinterland traffic to and from German seaports.”

The Port Railway – an overview

In the year 2011, the Port Railway recorded the best result of its entire history. For the first time, more than two million containers (TEU) were carried on its rail network within the space of one year. The total volume of goods transported was around 41.8 million tons. The HPA plans to invest the record amount of more than 70 million euros in the Port Railway in the year 2012.

The Port Railway is part of the corporate operations of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA). Its network consists of about 300 kilometres of tracks and about 880 switches. Around 110 kilometres of tracks are electrified. At the Port of Hamburg, the Port Railway provides access to over 170 rail sidings for cargo handling and logistics operations and other port-related businesses. Some 200 goods trains with a total of more than 4500 wagons travel through the Port of Hamburg on any working day. A total of 94 railway companies use the tracks of the Port Railway.