German ports need reliable and competitive rail connections

Logistics Initiative Hamburg and Port of Hamburg Marketing co-organised 8th Railway Conference, which called for a thorough general overhaul of the railway network.

The railway is the dominant transport mode for goods to the ports of Hamburg and Bremen, a crucial role that will only grow as we aim for an ecological shift in transportation. However, the infrastructure is outdated, and traffic volumes are increasing. In response, DB InfraGO, a state-owned railway infrastructure company, has started a comprehensive renovation of the network.

While participants at the 8th Railway Conference in Bremen supported these measures, they emphasized the need for functional connections during the renovation, as highlighted by Sebastian Doderer, Head of the Rail Working Group: “Even during the upcoming renovation of high-performance corridors, we must ensure continued rail access to our northern German ports.”

The conference, organized by the Rail Working Group in cooperation with the Scandria Alliance’s associated members Logistics Initiative Hamburg and Port of Hamburg Marketing, as well as the Free and Hanseatic City of Bremen, included representatives from politics, business, and Deutsche Bahn, who shared their perspectives and requirements.

For the ports of Hamburg and Bremen, where over half of all containers are already transported by rail, continuous and efficient rail connections are essential.

In a panel discussion, industry representatives emphasized that while the renovation is welcome, access to northern German ports must be maintained.

Axel Mattern, Chief Executive Officer of Port of Hamburg Marketing, stressed: “The rail network is an existential infrastructure asset for the seaports and for Germany. And it needs to be preserved and maintained.”

Carmen Schmidt, Managing Director of the Logistics Initiative Hamburg, added: “I am therefore delighted that we can announce that the ninth Railway Conference will be held in Hamburg next year, on 8 December 2025.”

Read a full press release on the 8th Railway Conference (in German) here.