A “premiere”, as Tailwind Intermodal calls it in its own press release. The subsidiary of supermarket chain Lidl has started as a rail operator. The first train arrived in Graz, Austria on 3 September with freight from the Slovenian port of Koper. The connection has been given the name Panther Shuttle and will provide shuttle services between Graz and Koper five times a week.

Supermarket chain Lidl has founded transport company Tailwind Intermodal to take over part of its hinterland transport. Tailwind Intermodal is a sister company of Tailwind Shipping, the container shipping company that was founded by Lidl two years ago.

Tailwind Intermodal’s Panther Shuttle is its first own rail freight transport service. The shuttle offers freight forwarders and shipping companies five direct weekly connections in both directions. An expansion to ten return trips per week is a possibility, also on the weekends. Tailwind Intermodal also drives its own trucks to the freight terminal in Austria.

‘Ideal connection’

Tailwind Intermodal calls the connection ‘ideal’ in order to connect Eastern and Southeastern Europe. ‘With the direct rail connection between these strategically ideally located freight centers, we position ourselves as an intermodal service provider for everyone who has containers transported between the Mediterranean and Eastern and Southeastern Europe.’

The new rail operator also focuses on freight forwarders and shipping companies that transport cargo from these regions to the Far East. As an affiliate of Tailwind Shipping Lines, which serves the Adriatic port of Koper, Tailwind Intermodal will also be responsible for the onward transport of containers to the hinterland and the return of empty containers to Koper.

This article was originally published on our sister publication NT.nl.