Swissterminal AG, a Switzerland-based integrated logistics provider, and DP World have announced the introduction of a regular barge service from Basel-Kleinhüningen and Basel-Birsfelden to various deepsea terminals at the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. The service will begin in January of 2021.

With the launch of this new intermodal product, Swissterminal offers two roundtrips each week to Port of Antwerp and Port of Rotterdam. Both routes will go via the hub Germersheim in Germany, which is operated by DP World. The new service will begin with two feeder barges, both with a 96 TEU capacity. The two barges will connect the DP World hub in Germersheim with the Upper Rhine terminals. From the hub, customers’ cargo will be loaded onto DP World’s existing service, which is regularly operated with five of the logistic provider’s vessels. 

Barge arrivals and departures to/from Switzerland will happen twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The approximate transit time on both the Rotterdam and Antwerp routes is five days in both directions. 

Swissterminal tested the barge service over a period of several weeks to establish the best service frequency and smooth operations. The launch of this new product is a continuation of the logistics specialist’s goal of establishing itself as Switzerland’s partner of choice for multimodal transport. Its rail subsidiary, Schweizerzug, already offers frequent rail connections to/from Port of Antwerp and Port of Rotterdam as well as other key economic centers throughout Europe and Asia. The introduction of the new barge service will give customers further flexibility when designing supply chain and transport flows. 

“We are seeing an increased demand for reliable connections to and from the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. By adding barge services to our portfolio, we are offering our customers additional supply chain flexibility and resiliency, which has proven crucial during times of crisis and will continue to do so in the future,” said Roman Mayer, CEO of Swissterminal.

About Swissterminal

Swissterminal AG, headquartered in Frenkendorf, is an integrated logistics service provider. Founded in 1972, the company is the Swiss market leader for terminal services connected with the handling of overseas containers. As an independent interface, Swissterminal operates terminal facilities and depots for combined container transport via barge, rail and truck in five locations across Switzerland. In addition to terminal activities, intermodal transport, trading, storage, maintenance and repair, Swissterminal’s service portfolio includes secure cold chain solutions, customs clearance and warehousing. Since January 2020, the international terminal and logistics company DP World has held a 44% stake in Swissterminal.