The German logistic and transport company HHLA operating container terminals in Hamburg is investing in creation of a Ukrainian company – container railway operator. It is already registered as Ukrainian Intermodal Company (UIC).
This information came from Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine (AIFFU) which sponsored international forwarders forum held online on 26-28 May. During the event MD of HHLA International GmbH Philip Sweens voiced the news on the new intermodal operator.
According to him, the company had been officially registered in Ukraine in January. Now it is 100% owned by HHLA i.e. CTO (Container Terminal Odessa) and HHLA International. However, it is planned that in future HHLA should keep as few as 20-30% of the stock, while 50-60% would be shared by transport and forwarding companies and sea lines, and the rest going to IPO. By Philip Sweens, such a structure will secure the partnership of different stakeholders and investors, and attract wide cargo base and financial resources.
Aiming at the UIC development, HHLA is going to invest in leasing and purchasing of the rolling stock, as well as the inland country terminals. The company also intends to arrange collaboration with Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) in order to provide competing conditions of work at the railway services market.
Philip Sweens has underlined that Ukraine possesses every component for developing intermodal traffic. Today, by his information, the share of such traffic comprises 2.8% in our country, while in Romania it amounts to 5.9%, in Russia – 6.1%, in Slovakia – 8.2%, in Poland – 9.6%, and in Belarus – 15%. Therefore, Ukraine should grow thrice to reach an average rate of East Europe.
As HHLA MD noted, “the majority of economic centres in Ukraine are situated more than 300 km away from the sea ports – it’s the ideal distance for the railroad transport”. By assessments, the intermodal traffic potential for 2020-2021 embraces from 270K to 310K TEU.
“The combined (or multimodal) way of delivery is going to make the country more successful, efficient, and developed from the transport infrastructure point of view”, Philip Sweens reckons.
Let’s remind you that there is a daughter company of HHLA operating in Odessa Port – CTO. Last year CTO DG Anastas Kokkin announced that the company was considering possibilities of acquiring flat cars and even locomotives of its own in Ukraine.
https://cfts.org.ua/news/2020/06/02/hhla_sozdaet_v_ukraine_operatora_zheleznodorozhnykh_konteynernykh_perevozok_59010