Hannibal expands its connections with Northern Europe with the new Melzo – Rotterdam Europoort intermodal service

Hannibal – the Contship Group’s multimodal transport operator – is continuing to expand its intermodal network in Europe by announcing the launch of a new link between the Group’s inland terminal in Melzo – RHM, Rail Hub Milano – and the Europoort Rotterdam terminal, one of the most important logistics hubs for international supply chains and a highly integrated rail and maritime platform. The combination of rail links, short-sea services and deep-sea connections makes Europoort Rotterdam a multimodal hub of primary importance for access to the main European logistics corridors. It enables the handling of both containerised and conventional freight flows, acting as a consolidation and distribution point for traffic bound for the Benelux countries, Germany, the United Kingdom and the main markets of Northern Europe.

The Group has thus completed its operational coverage of the terminals at the Port of Rotterdam, where Contship, through its subsidiary Hannibal, now operates extensively across all the main facilities: Moerdijk, RSC, Botlek and, finally, Europoort.

This arrangement enables the Group to offer customers a wider range of available connections for transhipment services to the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, consolidating the role of Hannibal and RHM as a rail gateway to Northern Europe. The new connection, which has been operational since 8 July, also ensures greater operational flexibility thanks to the availability of both lo-lo (lift-on/lift-off) and ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) solutions, catering to the diverse transport needs of all European shippers.

The service – intended for semi-trailers, containers and swap bodies – will be operated as an open rail shuttle. With 6 trains a week, it will be able to carry up to 38 load units. Specifically, departures from Italy are scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Melzo and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from Europoort, with a transit time of approximately 24 hours. This service involves a partnership with the operator SBB, which is responsible for hauling the train.

With the launch of the new service, the number of weekly rail services between Melzo and the Netherlands rises to 36, confirming Hannibal’s commitment to strengthening European intermodal corridors and providing increasingly efficient, reliable and sustainable logistics solutions.

The network expansion is part of a broader strategic plan. Over the coming months, the Group will launch several new projects designed to further strengthen and extend its rail connectivity, reinforcing its position across key European freight corridors. This approach reflects the Contship Group's commitment to investing in intermodal transport as a cornerstone of a more integrated, efficient, and competitive logistics system.