Hamburg has been selected among the winners of the REIF Shift to Regional Rail -Award
09 Mar 2022 11:44 Entertainment
The Port of Hamburg is among the three winners of the REIF Shift to Regional Rail - Award in the category Regional Government / Public Body. Stefan Breitenbach (Port of Hamburg Marketing) represented the Port of Hamburg in the award ceremony, which took place online due to the COVID 19-related restrictions at the REIF Transfer conference in Bologna (Italy) on 9 March 2022.
The Interreg REIF Project, funded by Interreg Europe, aims at increasing the modal share of rail freight transport. In particular, tackling relevant challenges related to lacking connectivity at regional level by identifying infrastructural bottlenecks, preserving vulnerable connections and redeveloping closed tracks. Winners of the REIF Shift to Regional Rail-Award are recognized as examples of excellence for inspiring other regions and local contexts and stimulating further development of rail freight transport.
As a leading freight hub in Europe and Germany’s biggest port, the Port of Hamburg serves European domestic markets with up to 450 million consumers. One of its main advantages is its excellent rail infrastructure and connections to the European hinterland.
About twelve percent of national rail freight traffic starts or ends in the Port of Hamburg. Around 2,000 marketed container train connections are offered weekly to/from Hamburg to the European hinterland. Strategic investments in the past and in the future support the achievement of excellent results in shifting traffic from road to rail.
Rail freight traffic to and from the Port of Hamburg is on the rise. It is confirmed by latest statistics published by Port of Hamburg Marketing, showcasing the impressive development of rail in Port of Hamburg’s hinterland traffic:
Hinterland volume by rail raised from 28.1 million tonnes in 2002 to 48.5 million tonnes in 2021 (+72 percent), while freight tonnes transport by truck decreased by 1 percent at the same time (to 36.4 million tonnes in 2021). By that rail share (52.8 percent, equal to 48.5 million tonnes) overtook truck’s share (39.7 percent), which is a great success!
The award received is another motivation for all involved stakeholders to continue on this successful path.
Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), terminal operators, and private entities are fully committed to take railway transport to the next development level through focused investments. It is a core aim of the City of Hamburg and Hamburg Port Authority to strengthen railway transportation to and from the Port of Hamburg. Measures consist of:
- Progress the digitalization of rail freight
- Proactive infrastructure maintenance
- Increase the level of automation in railway operations
- Boost multimodality and safeguard and expand access to the railways
In addition to the Port of Hamburg, the Adriatic Sea Port Authority - Ports of Venice and Chioggia as well as the Port Authority of Valencia have also been selected among the three winners.
The award is promoted by the Institute for Transport and Logistics (ITL) through the REIF Project, funded under the Interreg Central Europe Programme
The award is assigned on the basis of four basic criteria:
- Comprehensiveness of policy actions – The extent to which the regions have developed a system of policies aimed at rebalancing modal share.
- Commitment to future actions – The extent to which the regions have planned the development or enhancement of its regional rail freight transport modal share.
- Business model & Public – private cooperation – The extent to which the regions are engaged in dialogue and cooperation with public and private stakeholders to define policies.
- Transferability of actions – The extent to which the actions delivered can inspire and inform actions in other European regions.
Hamburg has been selected among the winners of the REIF Shift to Regional Rail -Award