CargoBeamer specializes in transporting semi-trailers by rail and operates as an operator of intermodal terminals. Now the first own terminal in Germany is to be built in Kaldenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
The construction of the site near the German-Dutch border, which is specifically designed for shifting semi-trailers onto the rail, is scheduled to start in the second half of 2025. The terminal is expected to begin operations in 2026.
Scaling the System
The company aims to set new standards in climate-friendly freight transport with its technology for transferring semi-trailers to rail, according to the information provided. Since the summer of 2021, the first own CargoBeamer
terminal has been operated in Calais, France. There, the series maturity of the transshipment technology has been demonstrated for several years.
With the new site in Kaldenkirchen, the company aims to achieve another milestone in scaling the system. At the same time, it is intended to function as a high-performance transshipment facility for truck traffic. An annual transshipment capacity of up to 228,000 loading units is targeted – as new capacity for combined road-rail transport to and from western Germany as well as the Benelux markets.
According to the company, the investment costs for the project are largely financed by the Federal Railway Authority
under the guideline for promoting transshipment facilities for combined transport, as well as by CargoBeamer.
“At our new site in Kaldenkirchen, we will prove the capabilities of our technology with the largest CargoBeamer terminal in Europe to date. To shift significantly more transport from road to rail, new, high-frequency offerings and terminals perfectly designed for semi-trailers are needed – both will be delivered by CargoBeamer in Kaldenkirchen," said Nicolas Albrecht, CEO of CargoBeamer.
Two Construction Phases
The new terminal will be built on the grounds of the existing reach stacker terminal of the Cabooter Group. Construction will be realized in two phases – construction
start for the first expansion phase is scheduled for fall 2025, with completion planned for the second half of 2026.
On approximately 133,000 square meters, the CargoBeamer transshipment technology will be installed, more than 270 parking spaces for semi-trailers will be created, and facilities for automated check-in and check-out processes will be established. During the construction phase, the ongoing operation of the existing reach stacker terminal is to be largely ensured, according to the company.
Soon after the terminal's opening in 2026, realization of the full expansion stage is planned. This will expand the total area of the terminal to around 159,000 square meters.
