ETS Elbe

The regular service for conventional cargo

The route of the river Elbe is occasionally affected by changes in the water level, which can hinder calculability and reliability of the transport on the waterway.

At the same time the river Elbe is the transport route with the highest reserve capacity. It connects the German seaports and the economic regions Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Bohemia which grow dynamically.

The project „ETS Elbe“ includes a regular service for bulk and piece cargo organized by all involved ports and ship owners. The service connects the channel region via the HUB Magdeburg with all ports located on the central and upper river Elbe. Since April 1st, 2007 the regular service started and provides a service similar to the door-to-door concept for all customers. The use of shallow draught vessel engineering and the inclusion of alternative types of transportation (train and trucks) guarantee an ecological and economical transport of goods throughout the year. The main concept is based on the use of pushed convoy units which allow the joint loading of different cargo. At the same time the utilization of push barges made it possible to reduce expenses since the most expensive equipment, the push boats and their crew, are in action almost constantly. The project partners are in permanent contact with each other concerning the coordination of load and carry data, which guarantees a smooth process. The offer is combined with the possibility to load bulk cargo into freight container whereby it is possible to minimize transport costs and to maintain the characteristics of goods.

The project „ETS Elbe“ is financed with funds by the Marco Polo Program of the European Commission. Project partners are the port companies Sächsische Binnenhäfen Oberelbe GmbH, Industriehafen Roßlau GmbH, Česko-Saské Přistavy s.r.o., Magdeburger Hafen GmbH as well as ČSPL a.s. and Odra-Rhein-Lloyd GmbH.

continue to www.ets-elbe.de