A new intermodal service is moving trailer transport between the Port of Rotterdam and Munich from road to rail. The service launched in May. It is operated by Outdoor Life Group (OLG), Bos Dynamics, Hutchison Port Europe Intermodal (HPEI) and Rail Service Center Rotterdam (RSC Rotterdam). Trailers arrive at RSC Rotterdam by truck. They are then loaded onto the Bayern Express rail service to Munich. From there, trucks deliver the cargo to destinations across southern Germany and Austria. Return shipments follow the same route. The companies said the service cuts road mileage and reduces CO₂ emissions by shifting long-distance transport to rail. The project uses Rotterdam’s existing rail network. No new infrastructure was required. Instead, the partners focused on coordinating operations between the shipper, carrier, terminal and rail operator. Gilbert Bal, Business Manager at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said Rotterdam’s extensive rail connections allow companies to integrate intermodal transport into their supply chains more easily. The service currently operates with 10 trailers. Every week, four trailers travel from Rotterdam to Munich, while four return to the Netherlands. The partners plan to increase capacity if demand continues to grow. The service currently accepts crane-liftable trailers. RSC Rotterdam said it is also open to discussing future transport of non-crane-liftable trailers. The initiative received support from Joint Corridors Off-Road in South Holland, backed by the Province of South Holland. The post Rotterdam-Munich rail link shifts trailer transport off the road appeared first on Container News .