The Metrans subsidiary of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is offering new rail connections between the Baltic Sea, Central Europe and Turkey. As a further terminal in the northern hemisphere, Gdańsk is now served by Metrans trains. In addition, in the very south-east, just a few kilometers into Asia, the Halkali Terminal near Istanbul has been connected to the Metrans network. The entire rail network now stretches from Gdansk, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven and Rotterdam in northern Europe to Koper, Trieste, Piraeus and Istanbul in the south.
The new connection with Turkey was made possible by a cooperation with the Turkish logistics service provider Omsan Logistics. The first train with containers left the Metrans Hub Terminal Dunajska Streda (Slovakia) on September 3 towards Istanbul Terminal Halkali. Two return trips per week are initially planned.
The connection with Turkey, with its long rail route, helps to reduce road traffic more than other rail offers and underscores HHLA’s commitment to sustainability. Together with Omsan Logistics it is an opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint on this important route. As the OYAK Group’s in-house logistics provider, they will support Metrans with their in-depth knowledge of the market.
In Poland, Metrans is closing a missing link on its European network map with a connection to the Baltic Sea. From September 5, 2022, regular trains will start a promising connection between the Czech Metrans terminal Ostrava and the DCT container terminal in Gdańsk. Metrans customers’ crates can now cross Poland from south to north three times a week in each direction, with a stopover in Dabrowa Gornicza near Katowice.
Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is one of the leading logistics companies in Europe. With a dense network of seaport terminals in Hamburg, Odessa, Tallinn and Trieste, excellent hinterland connections and well-connected intermodal hubs in Central and Eastern Europe, HHLA represents a logistical and digital hub along the transport flows of the future.
