Tailwind Intermodal launched as independent railway operator

KALSDORF bei GRAZ : Premiere on the cargo railway line between the Slovenian port of Koper and the freight terminal in the Austrian city of Graz: Tailwind Intermodal’s first own train arrived in the Austrian state of Styria on 3 September carrying cargo from the Adriatic port. The delivery marked the debut of the subsidiary of Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG as an independent railway operator on this route. The Panther Shuttle will offer freight forwarders and shipping companies five direct weekly connections in each direction. Depending on customer demand, the service’s frequency will be extended to up to 10 times, including at weekends. Tailwind Intermodal will also be responsible for terminal trucking with its own tractor units and chassis at the cargo terminal in Graz. The name of the shuttle was chosen as a nod to the Styrian coat of arms, which has been adorned with a panther since 1180.

“Thanks to its geographical location between the Adriatic and the Baltic, the cargo terminal in Graz, in conjunction with the Port of Koper, forms an ideal connection to Eastern and Southeastern Europe,” said Christian Steindl, Managing Director of Tailwind Intermodal. “With the direct rail connection between these strategically ideally located cargo centres, we are positioning ourselves as an intermodal service provider for all those who have containers transported between the Mediterranean and Eastern and Southeastern Europe.” The company, headquartered in Kalsdorf bei Graz, is also focusing on freight forwarders and shipping companies that transport cargo from these regions to the Far East – and the company is already thinking ahead: “We are planning to increase the frequency between Graz and Koper over the course of the coming year,” Steindl says.

As an affiliated company of Tailwind Shipping Lines, which calls at the Adriatic port of Koper, Tailwind Intermodal will also be responsible for the onward transportation of containers to the hinterland as well as the return of empty containers to Koper. Together, the two companies will boost the performance of supply chains between China and Europe by combining sea freight and onshore carriage. Both companies offer their services on the market as neutral logistics service providers.