The Czechia-based rail freight operator METRANS has started building a new intermodal logistics hub in Szeged, Hungary. It calls the future facility a terminal of “European significance”. It is the second METRANS terminal in the country.
In 2027, the Szeged terminal should open its doors, ten years after the opening of the METRANS Budapest terminal. Szeged is located not far from the borders with Serbia and Romania, and for that reason, the future hub is supposed to “form a new logistics pole”, says METRANS. It will better connect Hungary and Central Europe to the Balkan region.
Some characteristics of the future Szeged terminal:
- Site size: nearly 10 hectares
- Rail infrastructure: four 330-metre loading tracks
- Handling equipment: two remote-controlled electric gantry cranes
- Planned capacity: six train pairs per day
- Annual throughput: up to 300,000 TEU
Connectivity and industries
The Szeged terminal will boast a number of important benefits. METRANS points out that the future hub will connect local industrial and commercial flows with broader European trade networks. Improved connectivity will also help to attract investments to the region, such as in the manufacturing, automotive, electronics, fast moving consumer goods and e-commerce industries.
“The launch of construction for our second Hungarian terminal is a significant step that reflects our long-term commitment to the future rail and intermodal logistics development”, commented METRANS CEO Peter Kiss.
“Years of collaboration and shared achievements have made Hungary far more than just an investment location for METRANS. The expected growth in international freight flows, strong domestic investments and the supportive business environment create highly favorable conditions for further joint development.”
German and Chinese ventures in the city
Szeged has managed to attract two key industrial investments in recent times, for which the logistics needs in the city are certain to grow. For one, the Chinese automotive company BYD is poised to open a production plant in early 2026. Large-scale production will then start in Q2 and could reach up to 300,00 cars produced annually.
Moreover, the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall opened a factory in Szeged just this week. The facility will make products for the company’s automotive business unit, including electrical components and products for the use of hydrogen in mobility and energy generation. In addition, some 10% of the production area is planned for goods from the military business of Rheinmetall’s Electronic Solutions division, the company announced in 2024.
Together with Szeged’s strategic location, those investments make for an attractive business outlook. A quick look at open sources reveals that Szeged is relatively well-connected via rail to Serbia, and from there to the Piraeus port in Greece. Budapest is a stone’s throw away, as well as the Arad logistics hub in Romania. The Slovenian port of Koper is also not far off.
Political representation at groundbreaking ceremony
It is clear that Hungary itself also attaches great importance to the construction of METRANS’ terminal. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade István Joó and the head of the investment agency, László Botka.