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Sassnitz-Mukran eager to fill unused capacity
01 May 2007
Germany’s easternmost deep-water port,Sassnitz- Mukran, expects planned new rail-ferry links this year with Russia will help solve its problem of unused capacity and hopes more cruiseships will fill the rest.
The Baltic port’s strategy has been focused on getting the most out of its unique position as Germany’s biggest rail ferry handling facility. It is also the only port in western Europe with a transfer facility for Russian/Finnish broad gauge rail wagons
Sassnitz-Mukran spokeswoman Nadine Gross tells Port Strategy: “All the port’s efforts are now concentrated on expanding our Russia competence and Russian transport business.
At the same time however we do not want to neglect our Scandinavian and cruise shipping interests.” She says that test operation of a non-stop, railfreight ferry link between Sassnitz-Mukran and Russia’s Baltijsk, Germany’s first, was under way in early April before the regular service opened.
The service, involving Deutsche Bahn’s Railion, Russian Railways RZD and Danish shipowner DFDS, should have opened last December but has been stymied by administrative delays.
The 22,341 gt ferry ship Vilnius is on the service and Sassnitz-Mukran is hoping for the start of a second Russian service in the summer, to and from Ust-Luga near St Petersburg, to further boost railferry freight handling.
Sassnitz-Mukran, which handled 5m tonnes last year including 69,000 rail wagons and 47,000 trucks/trailers, underwent expensive restructuring in the 1990s to boost ro-ro and conventional handling.
