What, until proven otherwise, appears to be a decline that is difficult to contain, namely the quality of railway infrastructure in Germany, ironically ends up directly benefiting those who are responsive and ready to seize new opportunities. This is the case for Poland and in particular for the port of Gdansk and its extensive logistics and intermodal area. Many operators interested in reaching central and eastern Europe have started to prefer access through Polish terminals instead of German ones. For this reason, the Baltic Hub Container located at the port of Gdansk plans to increase its capacity to eight million teu per year by 2030, with a particular focus on rail transport, which is expected to account for nearly 40 per cent of the volume moved towards inland corridors.
The Polish hub, also known as DCT Gdańsk, currently operates three terminals and has two more in the pipeline, with T5 already under construction and T4 in the authorisation phase. The goal is to become one of the largest European hubs within five years. In 2023, the Gdansk terminals handled 2.2 million teu, generating traffic of 8400 freight trains, a figure set to rise to 11000 as early as 2025. Currently, rail transport accounts for more than 30 per cent of the modal share, with ÖBB Rail Cargo Group and Metrans among the main operators.
The maritime traffic mainly originates from China and continues by rail towards the domestic market as well as towards Ukraine, the Czech Republic and generally other countries in central and eastern Europe. The managers of the Baltic Hub Container are betting on the availability of uncongested rail infrastructure, the absence of staff shortages, and the advantage of fast handling times.
The most recent development is the third terminal, T3, which has boosted capacity to 4.5 million teu. The first phase of the project was completed in 2024, while the entire terminal will be fully operational in 2025 following an investment of 450 million euros. The new terminal covers an area of 36 hectares with a quay over 700 metres long and a draft of 17.5 metres. The terminal is equipped with both ship-to-shore cranes designed for loading and unloading the latest generation of container ships, and gantry cranes for handling containers on the yard.
Meanwhile, in March 2025, the port authorities submitted an investment plan requesting public funding to build an additional railway line and a second bridge over the Martwa Wisła river to connect the port island, also with a view to ensuring safety in case the only existing access is interrupted due to works or extraordinary events.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
