DCT Gdańsk (DCT) has completed its rail expansion with an annual rail capacity of 750,000 TEU.
The new investment opens diverse growth opportunities in landlocked markets and provides a more economic and greener alternative for DCT’s customers.
The rail terminal expansion which started in 2018 and was completed in 2021, lengthened the tracks from 618 to 750 metres. Additionally, the railway siding was extended from 4 to 7 tracks.
Furthermore, fully electrified Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) cranes were purchased, and an OCR camera system for recording trains and containers has been put into operation. In addition to the expansion, the entry gates to DCT have been fully automated with OCR cameras.
The number of state-of-the-art quay cranes on Terminal 2 have been increased to eight, the storage yard area has been expanded, and additional equipment purchased to service them: five electric-Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) yard cranes.
This has allowed DCT to increase its rail capacity to 750,000 TEUs.
Charles Baker, CEO of DCT, said: “With this expansion we offer our customers a rail product that is reliable, cost-effective and, what is more, environmentally friendly.
“We already boast the largest intermodal terminal in Poland, and are one of Europe’s ten largest railway container terminals, handling over 5500 trains per year. Thanks to this latest terminal upgrade, we will effectively double our current track capacity. The expanded infrastructure will allow our customers to access even more efficient rail services.”
Customers will be able to generate significant cost savings by using the shorter rail route between DCT Gdańsk and Central Europe, compared to other ports in Southern or Western Europe.
The terminal aims to develop intermodal services to or from Poland’s landlocked neighbouring countries and regions, such as Czechia, Slovakia, Western Ukraine and Belarus.
Baker continued: “We are directly represented in the Czech and Slovakian markets, which allows our southern neighbours to benefit from DCT’s forwarding capabilities. Through competitive delivery times and large-scale rail connections, we guarantee lower carbon emissions per container compared to other European ports.”
Since becoming operational in 2007, DCT has built two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, with a total annual capacity of 3 million TEU.
