METRANS has lifted the annual handling capacity of its Poznań/Gądki intermodal terminal by nearly 80 per cent to roughly 590,000 TEU, after completing a multi-track, two-crane expansion backed by Poland's recovery fund.

The HHLA subsidiary raised maximum storage capacity at the site from 8,850 TEU to 11,800 TEU, an increase of one third. Two new remote-controlled railway gantry cranes, each spanning 80 metres, now operate over extended and additional rail tracks, allowing the terminal to handle the longest freight trains running in the region.

What does the expansion include on the ground?

The project delivered two remote-controlled gantry cranes with 80-metre spans, two new railway tracks and the extension of three existing tracks beyond 750 metres. METRANS also paved 53,000 m² of new operational yard and installed camera-based gate systems that automatically identify containers on entry and record their condition. A rail weighbridge and a container weighing system complete the new technical equipment.

Gądki, located near Poznań, Poland's fifth-largest city, sits on METRANS' intermodal network linking Polish shippers to seaports and economic centres from the North Sea and Baltic to the Adriatic and Black Sea.

How does this fit the Polish market backdrop?

Poland recorded real GDP growth of 3.6 per cent in 2025, with GDP recently around €923 billion, ranking the country the EU's sixth-largest economy. Peter Kiss, CEO of the METRANS Group, framed the investment in those terms:

"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."

Kiss added: "Poland's dynamic economic development offers strong potential for further expanding METRANS' European network."

What are the operational consequences for shippers and forwarders?

The longer 750-metre tracks let METRANS couple full-length freight trains, reducing shunting moves and lifting rail-to-road transhipment speed through the two new cranes. Automated gate cameras and weighing systems cut dwell time by removing manual checks on container condition and axle load, supporting higher train turnaround on a site now geared to 590,000 TEU annually.

For shippers and forwarders moving boxes between Polish industrial centres and North Sea, Adriatic or Black Sea gateways, the expansion translates into more rail slots and fewer bottlenecks at the Polish end of the corridor, with road-to-rail shift economics improved by the crane throughput uplift.

How does Gądki fit METRANS' wider network?

METRANS serves terminals in 15 European countries and transported a total of 1.6 million TEU by 2025. Gądki acts as one of its principal inland hubs, feeding boxes onward to Hamburg and other North Sea gateways through HHLA's parent network. The project, formally titled "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", received co-financing from Poland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO).

With Polish GDP still expanding faster than most of the EU and KPO funds unlocking further rail investment, the operator is positioned to add more domestic capacity as shippers shift freight from road to rail along the corridor.