More than 60,000 freight trains with around 1.6 million freight wagons carrying 2.44 million TEU, up 4.7%, were handled during 2018 on the port’s railway network, more than the record year in 2016.
Overall the port handled 135.1 million tonnes of seaborne freight, up 1%, including 79.7 million tonnes of imports and 55.4 million tonnes of exports.
Container transport to and from China, the port’s biggest trading partner, has been a major driver of the rail growth with one in three containers originating in or destined for China. Port of Hamburg now has more than 235 rail connections to China along the New Silk Road.
The port is currently preparing to widen and deepen the Elbe River, to boost the port’s capacity. Once completed, 23,000 TEU vessels will be able to enter the port, compared with the 21,000 TEU vessels at present.
In 2019, the Port of Hamburg’s marketing organisation expects to see container volumes to grow by 3-4%, while bulk cargo is expected to remain stable.
