METRANS launches intermodal logistics terminal project in Szeged
A major rail and road logistics project was officially launched in Szeged, marking the beginning of a development that local and national officials say will enhance southern Hungary’s role in European freight transportation, according to szeged.hu.
The investment by the METRANS Group was announced at a ceremonial event at Szeged City Hall, where the symbolic tightening of six rail bolts marked the beginning of the project. The intermodal container terminal will be built on a 10-hectare site in the Kiskundorozsma district, at the location of the former Ro-La terminal.
Once completed, the facility is planned to handle up to six container trains per day using two gantry cranes and four loading tracks. Preparatory work is expected to take place next year, with the first trains scheduled to operate in 2027.
METRANS Group Chairman and CEO Péter Kiss said the Szeged terminal will become part of the company’s European network, which operates in 13 countries and runs 20 terminals. The group currently operates about 650 container trains per week across the continent.
Kiss said the terminal could reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by tens of thousands of tons by shifting freight transport from road to rail, contributing to national and European Union climate objectives.
Szeged Mayor László Botka said the project reflects the city’s long-term strategy to develop modern and sustainable logistics infrastructure. He said the terminal will function as a regional logistics center serving companies in southern Hungary and neighboring countries, including Serbia and Romania.
Szeged has recently attracted several major industrial investments, including the first European car factory of Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD and Rheinmetall’s only hybrid production facility outside Germany, developments that officials say underscore the city’s growing role in international manufacturing and logistics.
Botka said the new investment is expected to strengthen cross-border economic cooperation, speed up the movement of goods, and provide new opportunities for businesses in the southern Great Plain region. He added that the project will bring new jobs, technologies, and expertise to Szeged and further integrate the city into European logistics networks.
Béla Mihálffy, a member of Hungary’s National Assembly from the Christian Democratic People’s Party, described the development as a logistics gateway capable of serving both international freight transport and regional businesses.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the investment will help position Szeged as a significant logistics hub by European standards. He said the project represents an investment of about 6 billion forints ($17 million) and is expected to create at least 50 jobs.
The ceremony concluded with a symbolic act marking the formal launch of the project.
Source: szeged.hu
Featured image source: METRANS
