The freight company LTG Cargo, owned by the largest railway group in the Baltic States Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (LTG), has been preparing for the commencement of transportation of semi-trailers. In autumn of 2020, a semi-trailer was delivered by train from Klaipėda Seaport to Vilnius Intermodal Terminal (VIT) for the first time in Lithuania.
During the pilot transportation, the semi-trailer, delivered by ferry from Denmark to the Central Cargo Terminal (CKT), was loaded on a special train platform owned by LTG Cargo and transported to VIT. In Vilnius, the semi-trailer was loaded with cargo and then transported back to Klaipėda Seaport.
“By carrying out technological tests, we strive to prepare as better as possible for regular transportation of semi-trailers. In 2020, we already made successful deliveries of semi-trailers from Germany to Lithuania, and presently we are conducting tests in Lithuania as well via the combination of rail and sea transport throughout the entire cargo logistics chain. In this way, we plan to offer our potential customers the option of connections not only in Lithuania but also abroad (in Belarus and Ukraine). In Europe, the transportation of semi-trailers by train is developing rapidly and is gaining popularity. This trend is determined by two main reasons: first of all, the relocation of semi-trailers on rail transport frees up roads and increases road safety, and secondly, it makes a significant contribution to environmental protection by significantly reducing CO2 emissions”, said Egidijus Lazauskas, CEO of LTG Cargo.
LTG Cargo plans to start regular transportation of semi-trailers already in 2021. The Company’s clients will also be offered connections with the ports of the Scandinavian countries – Kiel, Karlshamn, and Trelleborg.
Recently, the Company has been actively communicating with the Ukrainian Black Sea terminals in Chernomorsk and Odessa, which also show an interest in starting transportation of semi-trailers. By connecting these port terminals with Klaipėda, it would be possible to offer the market a unique product in the 1520mm gauge space and attract transit traffic of semi-trailers from Turkey to the Scandinavian countries. It is planned that up to 10,000 thousand semi-trailers could be transported on this route per year.