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Freight train to Port of Hirtshals:
Pilot project shows the green connection to Europe
On 2 May 2024, the freight train connection to Port of Hirtshals became a reality. DB Cargo Scandinavia, Port of Hirtshals and Nordjyske Jernbaner thereby lay the groundwork for establishing a new connection on the railway to intermodal terminals in Europe and Norway. This gives companies new opportunities to use the most environmentally friendly land transport – i.e. the railway.
In the upcoming years, the freight terminal in Hirtshals is set to become the focal point for rail freight transportation. On Thursday, DB Cargo Scandinavia, Port of Hirtshals and Nordjyske Jernbaner demonstrated that it is possible to generate traffic on the railway, providing a competitive and environmentally friendly alternative to truck transportation.
A new rail connection to Hirtshals will mean that a significant part of the trailers on the 200,000 lorries that pass through Hirtshals every year can be moved from road to rail. Every time a trailer is transported from, for example, Hirtshals to Duisburg in Germany by train instead of by lorry, 1,600 kg of CO2 is saved. At the same time, the volume of heavy lorry traffic on the Jutland Corridor is significantly reduced.
- It will be the most sustainable solution on the corridor. With this test train, together with our partners, we have shown that a rail connection is possible. Now, we must build a long-term partnership with our customers so that from December 2024, we can operate a regular service between Hirtshals and the rest of the European continent, says Birgit Wirth, CEO of DB Cargo Scandinavia.
The pilot project thus serves as a clear signal that the partners intend to initiate a collaboration with customers to establish a regular service from December 2024. The freight train is connected to a network of 220 terminals in Europe with the DB Cargo Group and, via Kristiansand, to 12 terminals in Norway with CargoNet. The lead time will be approximately 20 hours from, for example, Hirtshals to Duisburg in the Ruhr area, and the prices can be competitive compared to lorries.
- We are experiencing a growing demand for this type of freight transport, and we know that 10-20 percent of the lorry trailers passing through Port of Hirtshals each day can be transferred to freight trains. The potential thereby corresponds to approximately 38 trailers per day, which is a full train" says Michael Rosenlund Langballe, Head of Transport & Logistics at Port of Hirtshals.
The freight train can also be used for transporting, for example, CO2 from Germany to the upcoming CO2 hub in Hirtshals, when storage and shipping of CO2 to empty oil and gas fields in the North Sea begins in 2025. DB Cargo is already working intensively to prepare logistics solutions for customers of both CO2 and hydrogen transportation.
Pilot project receives strong support
The green freight connection from Hirtshals was well received by the approximately 130 guests at Port of Hirtshals with participation of both Danish and Norwegian politicians, representatives from the industry and the press. With speeches and panel discussions, the focus was on the partnership between DB Cargo Scandinavia, Port of Hirtshals, Nordjyske Jernbaner, CargoNet, Port of Kristiansand and Port of Larvik as well as Grønn Jyllandskorridor. It is thanks to a productive and supportive cooperation across the partners that the train is now possible.
"At Nordjyske Jernbaner, we are pleased with the prospect of our railway contributing to the green transition by moving some of the freight to and from Hirtshals onto rails. It has been a long process, but a strong and close cooperation towards a common goal has meant that things are now starting to fall into place, says Martin Sort Mikkelsen, CEO of Nordjyske Jernbaner.
Mayor Søren Smalbro (V), Chairman of the Transport Committee in the Danish Parliament Rasmus Prehn (S), Members of the Parliament Niels Flemming Hansen (K) and Kenneth Petersen (DD), Karsten Lauritzen from DI Transport and Tine Kirk from Danish Ports participated from the Danish side.
From Norway, Member of Parliament Morten Stordalen and County Councilors from Agder, Arne Thomassen, and Vestfold, Anne Strømøy, participated, along with representatives from the Grønn Jyllandskorridor project. European perspectives were provided by Linda Thulin and Furio Bombardi, both from the ScanMed corridor. Among the companies present were, for example, Kombiverkehr, DSV, LEMAN, Color Line, Fjord Line, Smyril Line, Blue Water Shipping, and Bring Intermodal.