Kombiverkehr has expanded its intermodal network with the reintroduction of a direct rail connection between Lübeck and Verona.
The direct service connects the Baltic Rail Gate Terminal at Lübeck's Skandinavienkai with the Quadrante Europa Terminal in Verona. Trains operate twice weekly in each direction, with departures scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays from Lübeck and on Tuesdays and Fridays from Verona. Additional services are available via Hamburg on three days a week in a gateway operation, enabling connections to southern Italy as well as Sweden and Norway through Lübeck.
The service accommodates trailers, swap bodies, and containers, including hazardous goods (excluding classes 1 and 7) and waste transport. Departure and arrival times are designed to support efficient loading and unloading at both ends.
Impact of Lueg Bridge renovation
The reintroduced direct service provides an alternative for logistics companies affected by the ongoing renovation of the Lueg Bridge near Gries am Brenner. The bridge, a key route for road traffic, has been partially restricted to single lane use since January 2025 due to safety concerns. Full renovation work on the 1.8-kilometer structure is scheduled to continue until 2030.
Kombiverkehr's rail connections, operated in collaboration with Lokomotion, aim to offer relief to freight operators during this period. Daily rail departures are available from Verona to several German terminals, including Munich, Cologne, Ludwigshafen, Hannover, Hamburg, Leipzig, Nürnberg, and Rostock, with multiple departures per day from some locations.
Brenner rail options
The direct Lübeck-Verona link and additional gateway services through Hamburg are part of Kombiverkehr's efforts to strengthen rail freight offerings between Germany and Italy. By reintroducing and expanding its intermodal options, the operator aims to maintain consistent freight flows across one of Europe’s critical transport corridors.