Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA) and Hafenbetriebsgesellschaft Braunschweig, the Port of Braunschweig's operating company, have entered into an agreement to begin a strategic partnership whose goal is the introduction of environmentally friendly container shipping services on the inland waterway between Hamburg and Lower Saxony.
The Port of Hamburg is the largest rail port in Europe, and rail-based hinterland traffic is one of its particular strengths. However, this competitive advantage often cannot be utilised on short routes.
The distance between Hamburg and Braunschweig, approximately 180 kilometres, is too short for the train. Inland waterway shipping has been deemed an attractive alternative to truck transport on this route, with transit time at approximately 24 hours.
HHLA is already conducting discussions to establish similar agreements with other inland ports in the hinterland of the Port of Hamburg.
