The Port of Hamburg is increasing the use of rail to move empty containers between the port and inland destinations, helping reduce road traffic and improve the efficiency of hinterland logistics.
Hamburg Container and Chassis Repair Company (HCCR), a subsidiary of HHLA, moved around 20,000 TEUs of empty containers by rail in 2025 from its depot on Altenwerder Damm. HCCR expects rail volumes to continue growing in 2026 as more shipping lines, freight forwarders and container leasing companies use the service.
The operation enables large numbers of empty containers to be consolidated at the HCCR depot before being loaded onto block trains. The facility can handle trains of up to 720 metres, with each train capable of carrying around 100 containers. This allows the company to replace numerous individual truck movements with fewer high-capacity rail services.
The growth in rail transport follows the reactivation of a railway siding at the HCCR facility. The track was brought back into operation in 2015 and underwent comprehensive refurbishment in 2022. Since then, rail volumes at the depot have increased steadily.
The main destinations for the empty containers are southern Germany and Austria. Before departure, the containers are inspected and repaired at the HCCR facility. Many are then supplied to automotive manufacturers and their suppliers, which use them to load export cargo.
After being loaded, the containers return through the Port of Hamburg, where they are transferred to ocean-going vessels for international shipment. This creates a circular flow in which rail is increasingly used to position empty equipment where it is needed for export cargo.
HCCR Managing Director Jens Gutsch said shifting empty container movements from road to rail helps relieve pressure on traffic in the Port of Hamburg and on German motorways, while also supporting lower-emission freight transport.
The development reinforces Hamburg’s position as a major European rail freight hub. HHLA says around half of all containers moving through Hamburg arrive at or leave the port by rail, with the port’s railway network handling about 2.6 million TEUs annually.
For shipping lines and logistics companies, the expanded rail option provides a way to consolidate empty equipment and move it efficiently over longer distances. It also supports the wider effort to shift freight from road to rail and strengthen the sustainability of port hinterland operations.
The continued growth of empty-container rail movements highlights the importance of inland transport networks in managing equipment flows. By combining container inspection and repair with high-capacity rail services, HCCR is seeking to make empty-container repositioning more efficient while reducing dependence on road transport.