Intercontainer, the combined transport services operator, has reported strong growth on key markets and positive earning before tax and interest (EBIT) for the first six months of 2006.
The volumes carried on core markets increased by some 10 per cent, with a total of 211,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent units) forwarded between January and June this tear, according to the 2006 half year results.
The intermodal traffic with South-East Europe and with Switzerland was particularly strong this half, progressing in double figures, according to Intercontainer.
The company had to increase the frequency of its existing shuttles and launch new trains between Austria and Romania, and Turkey and Russia, to cope with the large volumes of traffic.
This has built on the strong performance reported in the second half of 2005.
The company leads the rail-road unaccompanied combined transport market on major European routes including Western Europe to Switzerland, South-East and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and within Eastern Europe.
Intercontainer increased its stake in Hungarian operator Pannoncourt from 40 per cent to 100 per cent - and the firm was re-named Intercontainer Hungary Kft. on July 1.
The transport operators have also opened offices in Subotica, on the border between Serbia and Hungary, Dimitrovgrad, between Serbia and Bulgaria, and Kapikule, between Turkey and Bulgaria, to assist the flow of shuttle trains in South-East Europe.
Intercontainer chief executive Franz Böni said: “For the next six to twelve months we have a large number of promising projects in the pipeline.
“Now that we have finished consolidating our products on our core markets, we are able to launch new products on the market to keep pace with international industries’ supply chain requirements.
“In addition, we shall be increasingly investing in the development of commercial and operational services throughout the whole of the Eastern and South-Eastern European region and beyond.”
