HCCR expands rail container transport to Austria and southern Germany

HCCR, a subsidiary of HHLA, is expanding its rail transport services for empty containers from its Hamburg depot to southern Germany and Austria. In 2025, approximately 20,000 TEU were transported by rail from the Altenwerder Damm depot, a trend expected to continue through 2026.

The expansion is supported by a previously decommissioned rail connection on the HCCR premises, which was reactivated in 2015 and fully renovated by 2022. The facility can now handle full trains up to 720 meters long, carrying up to 100 containers simultaneously.

This shift to rail aims to reduce road traffic in the Port of Hamburg and on German autobahns while lowering emissions. The services are utilized by shipping lines, freight forwarders, and container leasing companies. The repaired and inspected containers are primarily used by the automotive industry and its suppliers in southern Germany and Austria to load export goods.