Europe

Construction of a new intermodal logistics hub of pan-European significance – the second container terminal for METRANS Group in Hungary, part of HHLA – has officially begun in Szeged, Hungary. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, HIPA Chairman István Jóó, Szeged Mayor László Botka, and METRANS CEO Peter Kiss. ​​The new terminal is scheduled to open in 2027, strengthening Hungary’s position in European supply chains and boosting the region’s competitiveness.

In Kazakhstan, the volume of freight transport by sea for January–November 2025 reached 3.62 million tons, a 41.4% increase compared to the same period last year. These data were released by the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms. The growth in freight turnover indicates the increasing role of maritime logistics in the country’s export, import, and transit flows.

On January 6, 2026, Contargo will launch the first train of the new Straubing Nordhafen Shuttle service, which will connect the container terminal in Straubing, Bavaria, with German North Sea ports. Initially, the shuttle will operate three round trips per week on a fixed schedule, offering companies in the region a sustainable and environmentally friendly container transport solution. The first train will depart from Hamburg on January 6, and bookings are now open.

The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine launched the Transport Data Hub, a new analytical platform for working with data in the fields of transport, mobility, and logistics. The launch was announced by Oleksiy Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister for Development of Communities and Territories. According to him, this fundamentally changes the approach to planning transport routes, infrastructure, border processes, and investments, as previously decisions were often made without a full understanding of the actual flows of people and cargo. Now, the government, communities, and businesses have a unified analytical framework for their daily work and decision-making.

On December 16, the opening ceremony for two modern warehouse complexes was held in the Free Economic Zone of the Port of Gdansk. Solid Port, a key player in the Inner Port, held the opening ceremony. The facilities, built on a plot leased from the port authority for 30 years, consist of rectangular steel tent hangars measuring 40 x 60 meters with a ridge height of 14.5 meters. The walls and roof are made of durable PVC coating, and the warehouses themselves are designed for storing organic fertilizers.

With the introduction of the new 2025/2026 timetable, Frankfurt-based Kombiverkehr KG has undertaken a major modernization of its intermodal rail services between Germany and Spain. The operator has launched optimized direct trains, increased service frequency, and implemented a new operating model focused on greater service flexibility and sustainability for freight forwarders and logistics companies. According to Cébastien Eisner, Sales Manager for Western Europe, the updated concept opens up a “new future” for shipments to Spain, combining high-performance rail service with Kombiverkehr’s presence at the Barcelona Morrot terminal.

Olavion, a company within the Unimot Group, has signed agreements to acquire 60% of the shares in the German railway company RBP-Rheinische Bahnpersonal- und Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH.

In January 2023, construction began on eight elements of a new tunnel under the Scheldt River on the Boudewijn Canal in Zeebrugge. This key infrastructure project completes the Antwerp Ring Road and forms the fourth river crossing, alongside the Kennedy, Waasland, and Liefkenshoek tunnels. For this purpose, the contractor created a dedicated construction yard at the intersection of the Boudewijn Canal and the Verbindingsdok dock – a structure approximately 1 kilometer long and 200 meters wide. At the end of September, the final tunnel element was delivered to Antwerp, after which the construction site fulfilled its primary function.

The Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine has announced the launch of a concession tender for the transfer of the First and Container Terminals at the Chornomorsk Seaport, including the Universal and Grain Marine Terminals. The Ministry itself is the concession grantor, and the concession term is set for 40 years. Interested companies will be able to submit applications for participation in the preliminary selection within 75 days of the official publication of the announcement.

A new terminal covering approximately 15 hectares is planned for construction in the northwest corner of Maasvlakte 2 in the Port of Rotterdam for the Dutch Ministry of Defence. The facility will be part of the National Defence Space Programme and will be used for the transhipment and transit of military cargo, including equipment and ammunition. The decision to select Maasvlakte 2 as a priority location was made by the Dutch government on December 19 as part of the approval of key sites for the expansion of the country’s defence infrastructure.