An increasing number of empty containers in Hamburg are shifting to rail transport
The Hamburg Container and Chassis Repair Company (HCCR) is continuously expanding the transport of empty containers by rail. Whilst in 2025 around 20,000 standard containers (TEU) were transported by rail from the Hamburg depot on Altenwerder Damm to the hinterland, this trend is set to further continue in 2026. Clients of the HHLA subsidiary are increasingly making use of this service to consolidate large quantities of empty containers at the HCCR depot and load them efficiently onto block trains.
The expansion of rail transport is based on the reactivation of a previously decommissioned railway siding on the HCCR site. The company recommissioned the track in 2015 and completed its comprehensive refurbishment in 2022. Since then, the volume of cargo handled by rail has risen steadily. Today, the facility can handle block trains up to 720 metres long carrying 100 containers at a time. This allows large quantities of empty containers to be consolidated and transported cost-effectively, thereby avoiding numerous heavy goods vehicle journeys.
“By shifting the transport of empty containers to rail, we are relieving pressure on road traffic in the Port of Hamburg and on German motorways. At the same time, we are making an important contribution to reducing emissions and strengthening the sustainability of the connection between the Port of Hamburg and its hinterland,” says HCCR Managing Director Jens Gutsch.
The rail transport operations are carried out on behalf of shipping lines, freight forwarders and container leasing companies. The main destinations are southern Germany and Austria. There, the inspected and repaired empty containers are required in particular by companies in the automotive industry and their suppliers to load export goods. The loaded containers are then transferred to seagoing vessels via the Port of Hamburg and shipped worldwide.
By expanding rail transport, HCCR is supporting the shift of freight transport to more environmentally friendly modes of transport and helping to further increase the efficiency of the logistics chain at the Port of Hamburg. Clients benefit from HCCR’s comprehensive range of services.