TransContainer to launch service from Italy

The company is to tap into Asian cargo shipped by the southern sea route to Hamburg and then via Poland and Belarus to Russia. It is to launch cargo shipments via the international transport N5 corridor from Trieste, Koper and Rijeka via Hungary, Austria and Ukraine to Russia and, possibly, Kazakhstan.

As other rail operators are not using this route TransContainer plans to initially ship between 10,000 and 20,000 teus. The company believes that shipping cargo from Asia to Russia via the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal to call at the Adriatic ports instead of the north coast of Europe, will save about seven transit days.

TransContainer is to purchase around 1,500 80ft flat cars at an estimated cost of between US$70m -100m.