In June of this year, a new trimodal terminal with the participation of Haeger & Schmidt Logistics (HSL) will start operations in Lauterbourg on the French Upper Rhine. This will provide the region between Strasbourg and Karlsruhe with an additional handling capacity of 80,000 TEU per year for the development of multimodal logistics chains. In addition, heavy-lift cargo can also be loaded there.
The operating company Lauterbourg Rhine Terminal (LRT) is made up of four well-known French and German players. These are Paris Terminal, Compagnie Fluviale de Transport, Port Autonome de Strasbourg and HSL. “The expanded terminal has ideal conditions for trimodal transhipment and is a strategic expansion of our presence in the Upper Rhine region,” explains HSL Managing Director Heiko Brückner.
The recently modernized facility has a gantry crane on the water side with a capacity of up to 30 containermoves per hour. Two half-train tracks of 400 m each are available for rail handling. Two new reach stackers handle the loading and unloading of trucks.
The terminal will be integrated into HSL’s existing liner services by barge and rail between the Upper Rhine ports and the western ports. “With an economically strong hinterland in Germany and Alsace, the northern location is a good complement to ETK Euro Terminal Kehl and the Rhine Europe Terminals in Strasbourg,” assesses Brückner. He adds: “Furthermore, it is interesting for us to develop the heavy lift business there in addition to container handling, both core competences of our company.”
