CargoBeamer to Build Proprietary Terminal in Kaldenkirchen

Designed specifically for the automated loading of non-craneable semi-trailers to rail, construction of the new terminal is scheduled to commence in the second half of 2025, with operations of the newly installed CargoBeamer transshipment technology set to launch in 2026.

The new facility in Kaldenkirchen will serve as the company’s first proprietary terminal in Germany, using its highly automated transshipment technology. Since 2021, the first CargoBeamer-Terminal has been fully operational in Calais, France, demonstrating the maturity and reliability of the CargoBeamer system in day-to-day operations. The CargoBeamer transshipment technology has so far been used on German soil at the company's own test facility near Leipzig, and from 2013 to 2016 a pilot small-volume terminal was operated at the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg.

With an annual handling capacity of up to 228,000 loading units, the new terminal will unlock substantial new capacities for combined road-rail transport in the Rhine-Ruhr & Benelux markets. Much of the project’s funding will be provided by the German EBA, accompanied by CargoBeamer’s own investment.

Nicolas Albrecht, CEO of CargoBeamer, comments: „By building our first CargoBeamer terminal in Germany, we are delivering the momentum needed to accelerate the modal shift across Europe. Kaldenkirchen will be home to our largest terminal yet, where we’ll demonstrate the full capabilities of the CargoBeamer system. To achieve a large-scale shift of semi-trailers from road to rail, the intermodal industry needs frequent services and terminals designed specifically for semi-trailers – which is exactly what we’re delivering in Kaldenkirchen."

The CargoBeamer terminal in Kaldenkirchen will be built in two construction phases on the site of the existing reachstacker terminal operated by the Cabooter Group which CargoBeamer uses for its Kaldenkirchen - Domodossola line, which currently runs with a frequency of 20 train pairs per week.

Construction of the first expansion phase is to start in fall 2025 and reach completion in the second half of 2026. Spanning approximately 133,000 m², the initial buildout will include the installation of CargoBeamer’s transshipment technology, over 270 parking spaces for semi-trailers, and facilities for automated check-in and check-out processes. During construction, operations at the existing terminal will largely continue without interruption. Following the terminal’s opening in 2026, CargoBeamer aims to launch the full expansion phase soon after, increasing the site’s total area to 159,000 m².

CargoBeamer currently operates five regular routes - in addition to the Kaldenkirchen to Domodossola route, the others are Domodossola - Bari (3 pairs per week), Kaldenkirchen - Bari (3 pairs per week), Perpignan - Calais (4 pairs per week) and Stuttgart - Domodossola (3 pairs per week). The Duisburg - Poznań route is expected to be launched by the end of summer 2025.