Intermodal rail freight transport in Europe is entering a new phase marked by selective growth rather than network-wide expansion. While the market has stabilised after a sharp downturn in 2023, structural constraints continue to limit a broad-based recovery.
The Baltic Hub container terminal concluded 2025 with record transshipment figures, driven by large-scale investments and the expansion of its maritime services network. By the end of the year, the terminal handled 2,767,287 TEU, a 23% increase compared to the previous year and the highest result in the facility’s history. This growth was driven by the commissioning of the new Terminal T3, an increase in ocean services, and stable supply chain operations. In October 2025, Baltic Hub also set an operational record, handling 20,962 TEU during a single call by the vessel OOCL Japan.
EP Logistics International (EPLI) has started operating the Central European Rail Express (CEREx), a new international rail freight service linking Germany with Central Europe and onward connections to the Balkans.
CargoBeamer, one of Europe’s leading operators of intermodal semi-trailer rail transport, has launched a new service between Liège (Belgium) and Domodossola (Italy). Operations on this route began last week. The new service marks CargoBeamer’s first foray into the Belgian market, which plays a key role in European road and air logistics, and strengthens the company’s transalpine intermodal offerings following the closure of the Rolling Highway service between Germany and Italy at the end of 2025.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications has approved the use of €46.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund for the implementation of the multimodal terminal project in Ruse. The total project cost is estimated at approximately €56.5 million. Construction is planned on the site of a former railway marshalling yard, near the area where a third bridge across the Danube is expected to be built, further strengthening the region’s transport role.
The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan presented a draft Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Container Transportation for 2026–2030 to the professional community and submitted it to industry associations for approval. The document is being developed as a practical tool for developing the container segment, taking into account real market conditions, operational constraints, and investment opportunities for transport and logistics industry participants. The key goal of the plan is to systematically increase the share of containerized transportation, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen Kazakhstan’s position on international transport corridors.
Shipping company CLdN announced the launch of a new weekly LoLo container service between the Rotterdam Distriport terminal and the port of Leixões (Porto), Portugal. This decision is in response to growing customer demand and aims to expand the company’s presence on the Atlantic route. The new service will complement the existing two weekly round-trip RoRo services between Rotterdam/Zeebrugge and Leixões.
Kazakhstan is developing a large-scale infrastructure project that is expected to significantly enhance the transit potential of the Middle Corridor. Asset Tuyakbayev, Director of the Project Department of JSC NC KAZAKH INVEST, held a working meeting with the management of the Chinese company Guoyou Materials Group, during which the parties discussed the prospects for the construction of the multifunctional Kuryk port complex on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. The project is seen as a key element in the formation of a sustainable multimodal chain along the China-Caspian-Caucasus-Europe route.
According to the Vehicles on European Roads report, the EU road freight market continues to grow quantitatively, but does not meet Brussels’ climate and regulatory targets. By the end of 2024, there were 6.2 million medium and heavy trucks on EU roads, an increase of 0.9% compared to the previous year. Almost half of the total fleet is concentrated in Italy, Germany, and Poland, making these countries key for European road transport. However, the main issue remains not the number of vehicles, but their age and composition.
The Hamburg Port Authority, together with the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services and Kongsberg Maritime Germany GmbH, officially launched the iPORTUS research project, aimed at digitalizing and automating port operations. The project envisions the secure integration of semi-autonomous and remotely controlled low-emission ASVs into complex port environments. iPORTUS is being implemented with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Transport, with approximately €1.7 million under the IHATEC II program.
