The Greek Port of Thessaloniki has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Greek and Bulgarian national railway companies, Hellenic Train and Bulgarian Railways (BDZ). The agreement, which dates from 7 April, is aimed at enhancing intermodal transport and expanding supply chain capabilities in Southeastern Europe.
In their agreement, the signatories focus on upgrading rail connectivity in the Thessaloniki port, developing competitive freight services and reducing transit times and costs. Promoting sustainable transport through rail infrastructure upgrades is also mentioned as one of the objectives.
The MoU coincides with a major pier expansion project in the port. Once completed, the Port of Thessaloniki will be able to handle significantly increased cargo volumes.. This should solidify its position as a modern transit hub for Southeast Europe.
Container terminal capacity doubling
“The Port of Thessaloniki, leveraging its geographical position at the heart of Southeast Europe, aims to establish itself as a reliable provider of intermodal transport solutions for the Balkans. The signing of the MoU with Hellenic Train and BDZ is an important step in this direction, as it facilitates coordination among stakeholders and creates the conditions for more efficient intermodal transport across the broader region”, the port’s CEO Ioannis Tsaras commented.
“With the construction of the Pier 6 expansion and the more than doubling of the capacity of the Container Terminal, we are substantially strengthening the port’s competitiveness and highlighting Thessaloniki as a critical hub on the supply chain map of the broader region. Fully unlocking this potential requires further upgrading of rail connectivity to significantly reduce transport time and increase environmentally friendly modes of transport”, Tsaras added.