Port of Lübeck Expands Capacities for Intermodal Transport

The Lübeck Port Company (LHG) is preparing for increasing rail traffic. For this reason, LHG has developed a master plan within the corporate group. The focus is on the infrastructure and processes at the Scandinavia Quay to accommodate further intermodal traffic.

(Lübeck) The intermodal market is growing. Lübeck serves as an intermodal hub on the Baltic Sea with 50 weekly departures to German and Italian industrial centers. To further strengthen this position, the Lübeck Port Company (LHG) has created a master plan within its corporate group.

The focus is on the infrastructure and processes at the Scandinavia Quay. Before the summer, LHG will be able to accommodate additional intermodal traffic. Various departments of the company are working together with a network of measures.

Expanding Capacities at the Travemünde Terminal

The main goal is to expand the capacities of the Travemünde Terminal for rail traffic. The volumes had recently increased due to the closure of trailer traffic on the rail through Denmark. The recent connection to the Mega-Hub Lehrte is also expected to provide new impulses. Overall, the volumes in the port are developing very positively. In the first three months, the handling at LHG has increased compared to the same period last year.

At the center of the considerations is the intermodal terminal of LHG’s subsidiary Baltic Rail Gate (BRG). The team is operating on a trial basis in a three-shift operation, making it operational even at night. Additionally, plans to extend the existing 600-meter tracks to 750 meters are nearly complete. They are to be implemented as soon as possible.

Operational Operations Prepared for Increasing Volumes

The operational activities at the Scandinavia Quay are also prepared for increasing volumes. Additional parking spaces for trailers are already partially available; more are in sight, as the Scandinavia Quay is being further expanded. In addition to new areas and another hall, a supplementary access road to the terminal is being created. This will help ensure that traffic can flow reliably during peak times.

In parallel, LHG will create the position of a rail coordinator. This person will manage all rail movements on the internal tracks of the port railway, which covers a total of 27 kilometers under LHG management. This includes not only intermodal trains but also individual wagons and entire trains carrying forestry products, steel, and cars.

Research projects such as the recently presented initiative Baltic Future Port aim to make the port and its hinterland connections more efficient through digital means. This includes the so-called Traingate as well as the internal software solution LHG Rail.

Digital Interface Control

The Traingate is designed to systematically capture all loading units arriving at the port by rail. It will serve digital interface control, for example, to monitor the condition of wagons and loading units in the port. The software LHG Rail aims to ensure that track capacities can be utilized optimally. The goal of these measures will be to load and unload trains at the Scandinavia Quay even more effectively and efficiently.

A central role in the master plan is played by LHG’s subsidiary European Cargo Logistics (ECL). It is continuously expanding its existing services and planning additional departures to Duisburg, Ludwigshafen, and Verona. Furthermore, ECL is working on various new connections. The company is exploring destinations in the area of the West Ports, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Catalonia/Spain. Nordic Rail Services (NRS) is also responding to the increasing traffic. Responsible for part of the shunting operations at the terminal, NRS is increasing its night shift staff, thereby creating additional shunting capacities.

ECL with New TMS System

To meet the new requirements and organize transports at a high level, ECL will also introduce a new Transport Management Software (TMS). This will enable the company to work more efficiently internally, and customers will also benefit directly: The system simplifies intermodal booking processes and improves the flow of information. Forwarders will thus be able to better oversee their bookings, track shipments, and receive current status information.

LHG Managing Director Sebastian Jürgens summarizes: “Our strategy is based on several approaches: On the one hand, we want to utilize existing areas even more efficiently. Where necessary, we will increase staff, and with the help of our research projects, we are digitizing our processes. This way, we are setting the course for optimal utilization of our capacities.”

Photo: © Michael Imhoff/LHG