Multimodal company Samskip and Nunner Logistics are launching direct rail services between Amsterdam and Duisburg, as part of a new and far-reaching commitment to shippers using rail, road, and waterborne transport services from two of Northern Europe’s main container ports.
Starting August 20, 2020, the new service will connect Samskip’s
rail terminal in Duisburg with TMA Terminal Amsterdam, initially with
two weekly departures in each direction. Service frequency will increase
to three round trips per week starting in September.
Nunner Logistics operates weekly trains from the Chinese cities of Xi’an and Changsha to Duisburg. With both Duisburg and Amsterdam connecting seamlessly to Samskip’s European rail, road, and short-sea network, the six-hour rail transit between the two cities provides a reliable and flexible transport option, optimized for the prompt delivery of 40-foot and 45-foot containers, reefer units, flat racks, and tank containers.
The new rail shuttle has been launched in collaboration with TMA Terminal Amsterdam, the Port of Amsterdam, and Duisport Group, with DistriRail providing rail haulage services.
Traction Makes IRP
The first-of-its-kind link to and from Amsterdam adds a new dimension to Samskip’s weekly short-sea service connecting to the Norwegian west coast, and for shippers using its three weekly departures to Hull and Tilbury. High-frequency rail shuttles will also extend the reach of short-sea services into Amsterdam beyond Duisburg, to Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Italy, and Turkey.
“We are excited to launch this missing link in our network and offer an even stronger intermodal product,” says David Besseling, Samskip Head of UK Trade. “The combination of Samskip’s rail and short-sea service networks creates a variety of efficient long-distance intermodal services for a sustainable door-to-door solution. Together with our partners, we look forward to increasing frequency and geographical reach even further.”
Erik Groot Wassink, Director of Special Products at Nunner Logistics, comments: “Nunner Logistics transports a large number of containers from China bound for the UK via the New Silk Road, with most trains arriving in Duisburg without a suitable intermodal connection onward to the Dutch ports that link to the UK. This new service bridges that gap, ensuring a reliable intermodal connection for cargo bound for the UK. It is also a wonderful intermodal addition to our services between the Netherlands, the UK, and CIS countries.”
“This greatly enriches our current rail shuttle services on this corridor,” adds Sander de Roo, Managing Director of DistriRail. Duisport Group Chief Executive Erich Staake describes the connection as a “central project” in enhancing intermodal networks and supply chain resilience, while TMA Logistics Chief Executive Gerben Matroos sees the service as a way to “further shape Amsterdam’s position as a short sea hub.” Meanwhile, Rob Smit, Hinterland Manager at the Port of Amsterdam, highlighted the port’s support for new rail services as the “efficient, clean, and safe” option.