HHLA’s subsidiary METRANS has completed the extensive expansion of its terminal in Poznań/Gadki, Poland. Two new remote-controlled railway gantry cranes, extended and additional tracks, as well as expanded storage and service areas, have boosted the site’s capacity. Maximum storage capacity has risen from 8,850 TEU to 11,800 TEU, while the annual handling capacity has increased by almost 80 per cent to around 590,000 TEU

METRANS operates a hub terminal in Gądki, near Poznań, Poland’s fifth-largest city. The subsidiary of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) handles rail containers at the site and provides temporary storage facilities. Gądki is an important hub in METRANS’ intermodal network, connecting the Polish market with major economic centres across Europe.

With real GDP growth of 3.6 per cent in 2025, Poland is one of the fastest-growing economies in the EU. Its GDP recently stood at around 923 billion euros, making Poland the EU’s sixth-largest economy.

Peter Kiss, CEO of the METRANS Group: “Gądki demonstrates how modern inland terminals and a strong rail network can improve the connection between seaports and customers across Central Europe. By investing in capacity, technology and efficient rail infrastructure, we are creating the conditions for reliable intermodal transport and the efficient movement of cargo between ports and their hinterland. Poland’s dynamic economic development offers strong potential for further expanding METRANS’ European network.”

A key focus of the expansion project was the modernisation and extension of the container terminal. Two new remote-controlled railway gantry cranes, each with a span of 80 metres, now handle the transhipment between modes of transport.  The project included the construction of the crane runway with power supply and a remote-control station, as well as two additional tracks. The three existing tracks were extended to over 750 metres. This enables the Gądki terminal to handle even the longest freight trains.

To accommodate the simultaneous expansion of the container storage, transhipment and transport areas, 53,000 m² of paved operational areas were newly constructed. Modern camera gate systems now support handling operations and automatically identify containers as they enter the terminal. They also record the condition of containers when they are delivered by rail or road. The technical equipment is complemented by a rail weighbridge for monitoring the axle loads of rail vehicles and a container weighing system.

The project ‘Increasing the efficiency of intermodal transport services through the expansion of the terminal infrastructure of METRANS (Polonia) sp. z o.o. in Gądki near Poznań’ was co-financed by Poland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO).

METRANS’ European network (see map) stretches from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic and the Black Sea and is being continuously expanded. METRANS serves terminals in 15 European countries and transported a total of 1.6 million TEU by 2025.