"Container Terminal Odessa" handled the first train to Ternopil of "Ukrainian Intermodal Company"

On September 19, SC "CTO" received the first container train, which from now on will run weekly along the route Odessa-port - Ternopil - Odessa-port. This is the first regular train launched by LLC “Ukrainian Intermodal Company” (LLC “UIC”).

As the initiator of the handling of container trains in Odessa port, the terminal management and its founder, the German concern HHLA, are taking the first successful steps towards creating intermodal service of European level in Ukraine. The full range of intermodal services includes the way from the point of loading at the terminal to the final recipient in the import direction, and from the point of loading the cargo at the sender's warehouse to the port in export. In addition to port and rail costs, the service includes international insurance of liability and handling at the hinterland railway terminals. Customers can also use such related optional services as delivery within 30-250 km from the station to the direct recipient or sender, stuffing and unstuffing of containers and other services.

“Further, it is planned to invest in the infrastructure of railway terminals inside the country at the key points of production and consumption, as well as investments in rolling stock, and in the future, it is also possible to have a fleet of locomotives. This is all that our parent company has in Germany and that it successfully operates throughout Europe. At our terminal, we are implementing a reconstruction project to double the throughput capacity of facilities for receiving and dispatching containers by railway. Together, HHLA and SC “CTO” are doing a lot to develop intermodal services in Ukraine,” said Anastas Kokkin, General Director of SC “CTO”.

As part of the start of the business activity of LLC "UIC" on organizing intermodal services in Ukraine on July 30, 2020, Ukrzaliznytsia, HHLA International GmbH, SC “CTO” and LLC “UIC” signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation.

According to Natalia Butenko, Director of LLC “UIC”, the new structure sets itself the task to expand and improve the quality of intermodal services in Ukraine in close cooperation with Ukrzaliznytsia.

“One of our first steps is the launch of a regular container train from the Odessa port (SC “CTO”) to Ternopil in partnership with LLC “Western Container Terminal”. At this stage, the train will run once a week, in the future it is possible to increase the frequency of its departures. The start was successful; the first train was almost fully loaded. It is also planned to invest in the development of high-quality intermodal services in Ukraine in accordance with European standards, the organization of regular container trains to other destinations in Ukraine," Butenko said.

Reference: LLC "Ukrainian Intermodal Company" is a 100% structure of HHLA group (port of Hamburg), the leading European operator of container terminals (founded in 1885), with the direct participation of the largest container terminal in Ukraine SC "CTO". A subsidiary of HHLA Metrans is a leading intermodal operator in Europe focused on railway container transportation between seaports and hinterlands. In 2019, Metrans transported over 1.6 million TEU, organizing over 550 regular trains weekly. Metrans not only provides services, but also has at its disposal 80 locomotives and more than 3 thousand wagons.