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Operational Situation in Northern Europe – Update No. 37

Dear Customers,

Over the weekend, the operational situation stabilized slightly; however, ongoing closures in the Elbe Valley have begun to impact operations again. It can be expected that the situation will gradually worsen over the course of this week.
 
We would like to remind you of the current closures in the Elbe Valley, which significantly limit services between CZ, SK, HU, AT, the Balkans and the North German ports, Rotterdam, and Duisburg:

  • Schöna – Bad Schandau: 16 March – 7 December 2026, every Monday 09:10 a.m. –  06:50 p.m.
  • Bad Schandau – Obervogelgesang: 13 April – 17 April 2026, daily 09:00 p.m. – 04:30 a.m.
  • Schöna – Bad Schandau: 14 April – 19 April 2026, daily 09:10 a.m. – 05:10 p.m.
  • Heidenau – Obervogelgesang: 15 April – 17 April 2026, daily 00:45 a.m. – 04:00 a.m.

The German rail network is congested, and DB InfraGO is restricting the entry of import trains; due to the above-mentioned closures, trains are already being held near the ports. It is therefore not possible to plan transit through the Elbe Valley within the very limited time windows. Export services are blocked by controlled access from port infrastructure. These circumstances are once again causing disruptions to timetables and the circulation of train sets, locomotives, and staff. Delays and irregularities will increase. The situation is complicating the operation of all services connected with Germany, including DE national and Poland.

Hamburg: HPA controls train entry. Some terminals are operating with delays.

Bremerhaven: Bremenports controls train entry.

Wilhelmshaven: Delays of approx. 0.5 day due to complicated transit through Germany.

Rotterdam / Duisburg: Delays of up to 2 days due to complicated transit through Germany.

Gdańsk: Trains are currently running with a delay of approx. 0.5 day. The backlog persists mainly due to the closure between Česká Třebová and Havířov. Import capacities are fully booked until 28 April 2026 (inclusive), and it is currently not possible to request an extra train.

For questions regarding specific shipments, please contact our customer service.

METRANS Team