Emirati logistics operator DP World has completed its first end-to-end shipment of finished vehicles in Europe. The company made the automotive delivery from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Aiud, Romania. The latter, says DP World, should become a regional distribution hub for finished vehicles.
The first shipment from Zeebrugge made its way to Aiud, but the vehicles are destined for Chișinău, the capital city of Moldova. They will continue their journey from Aiud by road.
The Zeebrugge–Aiud transport is part of a pilot operation. As such, it fits in DP World’s broader strategy to develop Aiud as a regional automotive logistics hub, the company says. In H2 2026, DP World will seek to introduce a regular twice-a-month service at the site. It also hopes to connect Aiud to other European ports, such as Koper in Slovenia.
East–west automotive
“Our strategy is to build a more connected European logistics network, creating new trade corridors and giving customers greater choice in how they move goods across the continent”, commented Svitlana Balaban, CEO of DP World Romania. “Aiud is an important part of that vision, creating new links between western European ports and markets across southeastern Europe.”
The Aiud multimodal logistics terminal is a 180,000 square-metre facility in central Romania. It opened in 2024 following a €21-million investment by DP World. The terminal features connections to the A10 motorway and to Romania’s national rail network. It provides container handling, storage, customs services and freight forwarding capabilities, says DP World.
The Emirati operator highlights that intermodal operations offer significant environmental benefits. They could reduce carbon emissions by 55% compared to long-haul road transportation. Moreover, intermodal reduces exposure to cost volatility resulting from European regulations and tolls.
DB Cargo and Stellantis
While DP World pilots a cross-European automotive rail corridor, the German national rail freight operator DB Cargo and automotive manufacturer Stellantis are also working on their automotive corridor concept.
DB Cargo announced that it had developed a mutual understanding with the automaker about the organisation of frequent shuttle services along high-intensity and high-volume corridors. This process took a couple of years.
“By focusing on the key corridors across Europe, we are creating a robust network with short response times and high planning reliability for our customer”, commented Andreas Weiss, Head of Sales and Solution Design International Accounts at DB Cargo Logistics. For example, DB Cargo and Stellantis now focus on connections between Poland and Belgium, Slovakia and Germany, within France, and along the corridor between Spain and Germany.
As a result of the “re-alignment”, DB Cargo Automotive is planned to transport 80,000 vehicles for Stellantis in 2026. In 2025, the company transported 50,000 units. The range includes compact models such as the Citroën C3 Aircross, Jeep Avenger, and Opel Frontera, as well as light commercial vehicles such as the Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer, DB Cargo says.