Hupac finds itself in a race of expanding its network and services. The intermodal rail operator has many new projects in the pipeline concerning new regional and international connections. Moreover, it has plans for new terminals in Eastern Europe to facilitate access to Russia and the New Silk Road. The company shared this news during its online conference on 6 May. 

Starting from May, the company will see an explosion of developments during summer and until September. These developments will focus on regional expansion in Italy and the growth of Hupac’s European network by adding new destinations. Apart from the new rail links, though, the company also focuses on adding more roundtrips to existing connections to allow for better interconnectivity in its network.

Expansion in Italy

Among the most important Italian projects for Hupac is the connection between Novara in Northern Italy and Pordenone in the country’s North-East end. The new rail link will start operating during May and provide three weekly roundtrips to the company’s customers.

Moreover, another forthcoming service will connect the terminal in Busto Arsizio with Marzaglia/Modena. This is a short rail connection in the North of Italy, which will put Marzaglia/Moderna in Hupac’s intermodal map. It will take off in September, also with three weekly roundtrips. Through Busto Arsizio, Marzaglia/Modena will acquire access to other regional services and services across the North-South axis.

More activity on a European level

June, July and September will also be full of interesting developments since Hupac will add some new European services. The company did not choose the link between Novara and Pordenone aimlessly. Instead, it will utilise Pordenone as a new destination between Rotterdam and Italy. June will be the starting point for intermodal trains to begin running between the Rotterdam C.Ro terminal and Pordenone three times per week in both directions.

On the other hand, Zeebrugge will have a starring role since it will connect two times per week with Brescia in Italy. Most importantly, though, the Belgian hub will also connect with Barcelona with the trains travelling through Antwerp and Busto Arsizio five times per week. Both services will also offer short-sea connections with the UK and Scandinavian ports.

Furthermore, with a new connection between Koln and the port of Kiel in Germany, Hupac will attempt to use this route and connect Italy with Goteborg in Sweden. According to the company, this service will also serve as an alternative to the heavily disturbed intermodal route through Denmark. This move was essential following the lengthy ban of pocket wagons on semi-trailers that the Scandinavian country imposed for several months.

More terminals

Since the beginning of April, Hupac has started constructing a new terminal in Central Poland. The new facility will be located In Brwinów near Warsaw. By autumn 2022, the operator will handle 740 metre long trains on four transhipment tracks at this centrally located facility.

The new transhipment terminal will allow for the consolidation of trains to Russia and China carrying goods from all over Europe. Many intermodal trains depart to Asia from central Poland, and many trains return through the popular border crossing between Belarus and Russia. The project covers an area of ​​almost 14 hectares. It includes a storage yard of 42,000 m2, four transhipment tracks with a minimum length of 750 m and administrative buildings.

In the same way, it aims to start constructing another terminal, this time in Minsk, Belarus, to put the Eastern European country in the game of the New Silk Road more actively. Not only will it use it as a transit country, but it will also have its own transhipment terminal there that will provide better and more efficient links with Eurasian routes.

Also read:

• Hupac takes the train from Geleen to South-Eastern Europe
• Hupac starts building new terminal in Central Poland
• Bureaucracy still hampers expansion of P400 network across Europe

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