Construction Work for KV Terminal Straubing-Sand Begins

The Port of Straubing-Sand is setting the course for further growth in rail transport. Following the successful completion of all planning, approval, and awarding procedures, construction work for a terminal for combined transport can now begin. The Port of Straubing-Sand GmbH is investing approximately 24 million euros in an area of around 50,000 square meters in the eastern part of the port. Up to ten trains per week are expected to serve the new transshipment facility in the future.

(Duisburg/Straubing) “The terminal enables the efficient transfer of transport goods, primarily containers and swap bodies, from road to rail. This not only strengthens the attractiveness of the port as the most efficient freight transport center in Lower Bavaria but also enhances the location quality for companies throughout the region,” says District Administrator Josef Laumer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Port of Straubing-Sand GmbH (HSG). The creation of up to twenty direct new jobs on site is another positive aspect.

The long-term forecast from the Federal Ministry of Transport predicts almost a doubling of freight transport in Germany by 2051. To achieve national and European climate goals, there needs to be an increased shift of freight transport to ships and rail. “By shifting containers from road to rail, transport-related CO₂ emissions can be reduced by up to 80 percent,” emphasizes Andreas Löffert, Managing Director of HSG. “With our investment in combined transport, we are fulfilling our responsibility for climate protection on site and creating an offer for the transformation in the transport sector.”

Funding from the Federal Railway Authority

The new terminal is being funded by the Federal Railway Authority with a total of 79 percent of the overall investment. Straubing’s Mayor Markus Pannermayr (Chairman of the Association of the Port of Straubing-Sand ZVH) therefore thanked the Federal Railway Authority (EBA) for their support: “Without your funding, we would not have been able to build this meaningful facility. I hope and expect that the railway will also keep the necessary national investments for the track facilities leading to the German logistics hubs and our port in mind. Shippers will gladly switch to rail when the offers are attractive and reliable.”

After the terminal is completed in the second quarter of 2025, HSG will lease the entire transshipment facility to an operating company for 25 years. In the Europe-wide competition, the contract was awarded to Contargo Combitrac Straubing-Sand GmbH, a consortium of the container hinterland logistics network Contargo, SFI GmbH, and the Ziegler Group. “In our joint venture, the expertise and know-how of three renowned players in combined transport are bundled. This is an ideal prerequisite for the future development of the port, its neighbors, and the region,” says Benedikt Rupp, Managing Director of Contargo Combitrac Straubing-Sand GmbH. “Over the next 25 years, the terminal will significantly contribute to the transport transition and decarbonization – our customers and the people in the region will benefit from this.”

Storage Capacities of Up to 1,000 TEU

The location at the Port of Straubing-Sand will also offer storage capacities for up to 1,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit / 20-foot containers). Additionally, adjacent areas can be utilized to expand the storage area as needed. The new freight station aims to increase the attractiveness of the region for future business settlements and provide existing companies with a sustainable transport solution. “The KV terminal is another milestone in the very positive development of the Port of Straubing-Sand,” says Herbert Stadlbauer, Area Contract Logistics Manager of the internationally leading logistics company Kühne+Nagel, which is also represented at the Port of Straubing-Sand with two locations.

Photo: © Port of Straubing-Sand / Caption: Representatives from politics, planning and construction companies, the future operator, and the Port of Straubing-Sand at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new KV terminal