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New capacity for combined transport

Brwinów, 7.9.2022    The Swiss combined transport operator Hupac is opening a new transhipment terminal in Brwinów near Warsaw. The facility supports the sustainable exchange of goods in central and eastern Europe and enables the further growth of combined transport.

The HTB Hupac Terminal Brwinów is located in a logistics district about 25 km southwest of Warsaw. The facility, with a handling capacity of 12 train pairs per day in phase 2, can shift up to 180,000 containers a year from road to rail. This prevents 10 kilometres of traffic congestion every day and reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 250,000 tons per year.

New capacity for combined transport
"The development of the infrastructure is taking place according to our proven step-by-step approach," explains Michail Stahlhut, CEO of the Hupac Group, at the inauguration ceremony in Brwinów on 7 September 2022. "In the first phase, we will put two transhipment tracks and three service tracks into operation. Loading units will be handled by reach-stackers. In a second phase, we will scale capacity and install another three transhipment tracks as well as powerful gantry cranes". From the beginning, the terminal has been designed for 740-m-long trains. "In this way, we anticipate the parameters of the European freight corridors and achieve maximum productivity for combined transport trains".

The terminal is an essential requirement for further developing the European intermodal network. Companies wishing to switch to climate-friendly combined transport can rely on sufficient capacity and the proven quality of Hupac in the Warsaw economic region. Stahlhut: "We would like to thank our partners and the institutions who supported us in the realisation of the project from the very beginning: the Polish Ministry of Transport, the Masovian Marshal's Office with Marshal Adam Struzik, the city of Brwinów with Mayor Arkadiusz Kosinski and the Swiss Embassy in Poland". The investment costs amounted to EUR 37 million.

“We would also like to thank Siemens Mobility, whose Vectron MS locomotive presented at the terminal is an excellent example of a technologically advanced and modern vehicle supporting intermodal transport in Poland and Europe”, Stahlhut continued.

Investment in high performance and environment protection
Hupac launched the terminal project in 2017 and initially provided for road and rail access. After a pandemic-related break, construction work was resumed in March 2021 and completed at the end of August 2022. The facility covers an area of 140,000 m² and includes a check-in area, a transhipment area of 42,000 m², office facilities and technical buildings. In addition, there is another plot of land of 160,000 m² for future developments.

Around 40% of the area will be planted with trees, bushes and meadow areas. "In this way, we reduce soil sealing and protect nature and the environment," explains Dario Arcotti, Director Engineering at Hupac Ltd. The entire handling area of the terminal is equipped with underground detention basins and a separate wastewater system to prevent possible groundwater contamination.

The owner and operator of the facility is the Polish company Hupac Terminal Brwinów Sp. z o.o. The handover to operations will take place in autumn 2022. In the initial phase, the terminal will operate in two shifts. "We are looking forward to the challenge and want to offer our customers real added value with numerous additional services," says Diana Batko, managing director of Hupac's subsidiary in Poland. Along with smooth transhipment, these include customs services, loading stations for containers and weighing of loading units. The terminal is accessible to all railway companies in accordance with applicable EU law.

Hub for European combined transport
The Brwinów terminal creates real opportunities for the further development of combined transport, says Renzo Capanni, who took over responsibility for Hupac Intermodal's Shuttle Net North East business area at the end of August. "Until now, there were no capacity reserves for intermodal transport within 120 kilometers of the Polish capital. The new terminal creates prospects for the growth of the entire sector”.

Once the terminal is operational in autumn 2022, Hupac will gradually transfer existing connections to the new facility. Renzo Capanni: "Brwinów in the heart of Poland is the ideal location for international connections to the Polish market. In the mid-term, we see opportunities not only in strengthening traffic on the east-west axis, but also in developing traffic on the north-south axis, where Brwinów can take on a central hub function".