Cooperation between the two companies is “evolving into an even more concrete industrial synergy”. Access to the Segrate and Verona hubs comes with intermodal connections to Central and Northern Europe. According to FS Logistix, this helps to boost the integration between ports, inland terminals and the market. It is also said to contribute to more efficient, competitive and sustainable logistics.

The newly announced services follow an earlier commercial agreement signed in May 2025. That deal provided for “the integration of complementary expertise to offer rail-road transport solutions on an increasingly extensive, high-frequency, high-quality network.” FS Logistix took responsibility for rail operations, Logtainer acts as the sole commercial interface to the market.

The Padua intermodal terminal

The intermodal facility in Padua plays a strategic role for the logistics of northern Italy and more. In a recent report, it was placed sixth among all inland intermodal terminals in Europe, second in Italy behind Verona. Its location makes it an important hub for connections to the main Italian ports: Genoa, Trieste, Livorno, Gioia Tauro and many more. Internationally, the terminal has links to the Netherlands and Germany and, as of this month, Belgium.

European Cargo Experience

Terminals and intermodality will be the main theme of the upcoming European Cargo Experience, the new event organised by RailFreight.com in cooperation with our sister publications WorldCargoNews and ProjectCargo Journal. The event will take place in Gdańsk, Poland, on 6 and 7 May 2026. Stay up to date and find more information about the European Cargo Experience here.

One of the most important characteristics of this rail link will be its border crossing efficiency. The interoperable train locomotives the partners will use will be key because they will save significant time on the Spanish-French border, considering that no change in locomotives or wheelsets is required.

A streak of services in Europe

The links between Barcelona and France are not the only ones initiated by Maersk recently. The company launched another rail link in Italy where inland and port connections are highlighted again. In this case, the connection is between the port of Vado Ligure and the Verona Porta Nuova terminal, both in Northern Italy.

Vado Ligure is one of the Mediterranean’s most significant fresh produce cargo gateways, with a large reefer terminal. Apart from the Verona Porta Nuova terminal, the port is already connected with other regional destinations, including Milan, Padua, Rubiera and Piacenza. In total, it is served by 12-14 weekly trains. The new service will be managed by Maersk Italia and operated by Logtainer Connect.

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Additionally, the new network will probably play a role in the modal shift because it will put rail transport in the spotlight. “The agreement with Hupac will allow our customers and partners to develop and increase the traffic destined to the other side of the Alps that currently does not pass through Italian ports”, said Guido Nicolini, CEO of Logtainer. Indeed, connections from Ligurian ports, across the Alps, to Swiss and South German industrial hubs, combined with the completion of construction works on the Italian rail network, will significantly boost rail traffic.

Following a steady year

The agreement was announced around the same time of Hupac’s assessment for 2020. During the past year, the intermodal operator managed to keep its traffic volumes balanced since it moved approximately one million consignments. This number equals almost two million TEUs and presents a slight decrease of 0,9 per cent compared to 2019.

The difficult conditions created by Covid-19 resulted in a prostration of maritime traffic which, combined with the European lockdown, dropped the numbers. Transalpine traffic through Switzerland saw the biggest impact with a 2,5 per cent decrease, while non-transalpine traffic remained steady and saw a slight increase of 0,5 per cent.

Call for support

In total, the company managed to maintain its network and cope with the circumstances. Michael Stahlhut, Hupac’s CEO, stated: “Given the extraordinary circumstances, we are satisfied with the traffic volume achieved”. However, the company’s operational areas felt a more severe impact from the pandemic than traffic in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. With public financial support being moderate currently, Hupac relies on extra measures to help it cope with costs and maintain productivity high. “We are aiming for the maximum possible train length – operationally and in terms of planning. Expanding the network to a standard train length of 740 m is our top priority – the sooner, the better”, added Stahlhut.

In any case, the company manages to keep its standards high, and developments like the cooperation with Logtainer prove that. Despite the challenging past year, Hupac keeps investing and expanding its network to its customers’ best interest. Subsequently, financial support for its green services should be a prerequisite.

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