DP World has begun handling cargo on a new intermodal rail route connecting the company’s terminal in Novi Sad with its logistics hub in Herne, located in the Rhine-Ruhr industrial region. The service, operated by Austrian transport company LKW Walter, offers three departures per week. The journey time is approximately 45 hours, making it faster than traditional long-distance road transport and reducing carbon emissions by up to 80%. The Novi Sad terminal is the first in Serbia to offer regular intermodal rail service to Western Europe.
According to DP World Novi Sad CEO Gökhan Jurteken, the launch of regular service between Novi Sad and the Rhine-Ruhr region strengthens Serbia’s integration into European supply chains and reinforces its role as a strategic trade hub in Southeastern Europe. The new route provides faster and more predictable access to Western European markets, reducing reliance on cross-border road transport, improving schedule reliability, and simultaneously reducing emissions.
The new service also responds to growing regulatory and operational constraints on road transport between Serbia and EU countries. Carriers face unpredictable delivery times and stricter European regulations, including the implementation of the Entry/Exit System and restrictions on driver stays in the EU. The company notes that the intermodal model, combining rail transport on the main section of the route with road delivery on the first and last mile, reduces reliance on long-haul road transport, reduces fuel consumption, and improves the resilience of supply chains.