For US-based companies the Eastern European markets of Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia and the Baltic States are becoming more and more interesting areas for investments in new production facilities. Hamburg is Europe’s gateway port to reach these markets in the shortest distance. Polzug is the leading intermodal rail operator offering complete transport solutions via seaport up to the final destination in these eastern countries. Being Europe’s second largest container port and Germany’s premier universal port, smooth and effective management of seaport hinterland transport is of crucial importance. Even though Hamburg is a powerful industrial and trading center located in the Elbe metropolitan region which itself generates at least one-third of seaborne imports and exports, the bulk of cargoes handled in the port’s seaborne foreign trade are sent inland by rail, truck, feedership or by barge. The volume of handled containers in Hamburg climbed to more than eight million teu in 2005 and will reach close to nine million teu in 2006. At the interface between land and sea transport, rail operators such as Polzug, shipping companies and transport firms responsible for organization and provision of transport services assume an absolutely decisive role within today’s truly global transport chains. The international division of labor leads to more oceanfreight and a growing volume in seaport hinterland transport. On the Northern European port scene Hamburg offers a particularly well developed network of intermodal transport links with its hinterland. The port hinterland area for Hamburg is Germany plus adjacent neighbouring states, including Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Austria and Switzerland. They are all superbly networked with cargo-handling terminals in the port and other combined traffic facilities thanks to daily connections to and from Hamburg. Dr. Juergen Sorgenfrei, chairman of Port of Hamburg Marketing Association (HHM) explains: “Competition between the seaports of Northern Europe is nowadays very largely a matter of the quality of hinterland transport to and from the seaport. People in Hamburg woke up to the fact very early on. Even 10 years ago, such cargo-handling firms as HHLA and Eurokai were already setting up intermodal companies such as, POLZUG, Eurokombi – today’s Eurogate Intermodal - and Metrans. These have become successfully established on the market with their own ranges of services and as providers of intermodal container transport. By constructing their own terminals in the hinterland these operators have also become involved beyond the boundaries of the port , guaranteeing high-quality provision of transport services. Numerous new operators and ranges of services have meanwhile been added and complement existing ranges.” Intermodal traffic links equipped to handle further growthEurope’s second largest container port reported that more than 97% of all general cargoes handled in the port are containerized. In Hamburg the container dominates general cargo handling to a degree not found in any other seaport of northern Europe. Moreover, the port is also splendidly equipped for the future. Of 100 containers passing through the Port of Hamburg, on average 10 are stuffed or unloaded in the port itself. A further 30 are transported to inland Germany or Europe; of these, approx. 70% are shifted by rail to regions somewhat further away, a fact that powerfully sustains and reinforces Hamburg’s reputation as a “rail port.” A further 30%, i.e., 30 containers originate or are consigned to locations in Hamburg as an economic region and the remaining 30 containers consist of freight in transit from/to the neighbouring Baltic and Central/Eastern European regions. Walter Schulze-Freyberg, managing director of Hamburg based Polzug GmbH, says : “Every day around 180 regular container trains are coming or leaving the Port of Hamburg. These services are notable for reliability, good timekeeping and frequencies, speed and safety. In addition to our Polzug rail s