DFDS goes on rail: new business unit to assist Danish ferry operator in developing smooth logistics
Being a leading ferry operator in Europe, DFDS is developing its logistics business by combining several modes of transport. Besides the well-developed ferry route network, the Danish company operates a large fleet of trucks. This year, it will incorporate a new business unit that will create more options for developing new smooth logistics solutions.
After the two-year-long intensive partnership between DFDS, the Denmark-based ferry operator, and primeRail, a minor German rail freight operator, the parties decided to merge their businesses. According to the agreement, DFDS will integrate primeRail into its structure by turning it into a new rail-dedicate business unit. “For DFDS, this is an important strategic step. We have been looking for the right partners with the same value set and commercial orientation as DFDS. primerRail fulfils this, and it is, therefore, a perfect match. We connect our ports by rail to inland terminals. Thereby offering a smooth and environment-friendly transport network to the benefit of our customers and society,” noted Peder Gellert Pedersen, executive vice president and head of the ferry division at DFDS.
Multimodality for Mediterranean
The integration of primeRail into DFDS will be completed within the year. Patrick Zilles, founder and CEO of primeRail, will lead DFDS’s new business unit. With the acquisition of primeRail, the Danish ferry operator will offer more logistics solutions, especially in the Mediterranean area.
“Since we acquired our Turkish route network in mid-2018, we have learned how much value train solutions can add to our business model and network. We extend our network, and with the increasing focus on green solutions, it’s a natural step to develop our train set-up further. We have since 2018 doubled our number of weekly trains; it is, therefore, natural to take the next step. We see an increasing demand for rail transport combined with our ferry routes and logistics services. Partnering with primeRail allows us to offer additional intermodal solutions. Customers can drop off units at our terminals in Turkey and pick them up in Europe very close to the end destinations,” added Lars Hoffmann, head of the DFDS Mediterranean unit.