Entrepreneurs from the region took the initiative for this new, climate-friendly connection in combined transport (CT) - the CT connection does not require any subsidies. The trains are operated by the DB Cargo subsidiary TFG Transfracht. This has been the market leader in seaport-hinterland container transport for more than 50 years.

Since February 1, the AlbatrosExpress has been running daily from Passau to the North Sea ports. The hub and transhipment point is the bayernhafen Passau terminal. Primarily containers with automotive components and commercial goods come to Lower Bavaria from the north. Goods from the Lower Bavarian economy are exported to the north, including from the automotive, regenerative technology and agricultural sectors. The seaports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen and Wilhelmshaven are directly connected to Passau by climate-friendly rail. Container handling is carried out by bayernhafen Passau with a reach stacker and the mobile harbor crane, which has been in operation since the beginning of 2019.

In addition to combined transport, the partners DB Cargo, TFG Transfracht and bayernhafen offer the additional service of single wagonload transport. The cornerstone of the idea to implement Passau as a port hinterland location was laid in 2019 in the Lower Bavaria Chamber of Commerce's expert committee for transport, logistics and infrastructure.

Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer: "The arguments in favor of combined transport are unbeatable: more goods on water and rail means fewer trucks on the roads. With the Albatros Express alone, we are taking around 10,000 trucks off the roads. This means less traffic, less congestion, fewer accidents, lower emissions - and a better quality of life for people. This project is also a role model in terms of implementation: from idea to completion in just one and a half years - real doer qualities have been demonstrated here."

"With the inclusion of bayernhafen Passau in Transfracht's combined transport network, combined transport in Bavaria is taking the next step," says Kerstin Schreyer, Bavarian State Minister for Housing, Construction and Transport. "In addition to inland waterway vessels, our ports also include trains: these transport goods further and ensure supplies to the population - even during the pandemic. We need to integrate rail and waterways much more into the transport chains and combine them optimally. This is how we can achieve the best possible balance between people, the economy and ecology in freight transport."

Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, Member of the Board of Management for Freight Transport at DB AG and CEO of DB Cargo AG: "Our partner bayernhafen and our customers have created a network to which we as a rail company can contribute our strengths: We can offer competitive logistics solutions with maximum flexibility and planning capability at the same time. And: every tonne of freight that makes its way here emits 80 percent less CO2 than a truck on the highway. "

"Our aim is to bundle freight flows and shift traffic from road to rail and inland waterway," says bayernhafen Managing Director Joachim Zimmermann, "the new intermodal train connects Lower Bavarian companies with the German North Sea coast. This shows that our investment in trimodal expansion at the bayernhafen Passau-Schalding site is bearing fruit. We are thus offering the greatest possible flexibility for the requirements of the Lower Bavarian economy." This means that all five trimodal bayernhafen locations - Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau - are now connected to the German seaports on a scheduled basis. "A strong signal for Bavaria as a business location and for climate protection."

"Each mode of transport has its own specific strengths. We need a combination of rail, ship and truck in order to optimize logistics processes in the region. However, the advantages of trimodal connections, such as those offered by Passau, have so far only been used to a limited extent," says Jürgen Pfeil, freight forwarder and Chairman of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce's 'Transport, Logistics and Infrastructure' expert committee. This has now changed: "Our companies now have an international container terminal on their doorstep, which opens up completely new possibilities by rail to and from the seaports," says Pfeil. This was made possible by the cooperation of several players from the Lower Bavaria Chamber of Industry and Commerce committee. "We have been campaigning for decades to improve transport connections in our region. But we don't just demand, we also deliver. In this case and very specifically: a new offer from the economy - for the economy," emphasizes Pfeil.

"We are very pleased to integrate Passau into our comprehensive AlbatrosExpress network as a new port hinterland location on February 1," says Frank Erschkat, CEO of TFG Transfracht GmbH. "With this new service for our customers, together with our partner bayernhafen, we are connecting the Passau economic region to all major northern German seaports with efficient rail connections. With the ten departing and arriving trains per week between Passau and Regensburg, as well as the transfer there to our high-frequency Regensburg axis to and from the German seaports with 46 trains, we are further strengthening the Bavarian economy. On the way to achieving our sustainability goals, we are very pleased to be able to shift further truck transports from road to rail with the "TFGreen" product in conjunction with the expansion of rail transport in CT and EV. Together with our customers and partners, we are thus making a significant contribution to our environment. For the Passau region, this means a reduction in road traffic of around 10,000 trucks and a CO2 saving of 4,000 tons per year. "

"Very good news for us in Passau: bayernhafen Passau will be integrated into container rail traffic," says Passau's Lord Mayor Jürgen Dupper, "this will breathe even more life into the trimodal bayernhafen hub and connect companies from the region with the major German North Sea ports. This integration into seaport-hinterland traffic means that Lower Bavarian companies can now switch to the more environmentally friendly rail mode of transport. In other words, there are winners on many sides. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the realization of this offer in Passau."