Intermodal Segment
in € million |
1–6 | 2017 |
1–6 | 2016 |
Change |
|||
Revenue |
206.2 |
190.8 |
8.1 % |
|||
EBITDA |
46.9 |
45.3 |
3.5 % |
|||
EBITDA margin in % |
22.7 |
23.8 |
- 1.1 pp |
|||
EBIT |
34.9 |
33.7 |
3.5 % |
|||
EBIT margin in % |
16.9 |
17.6 |
- 0.7 pp |
|||
Container transport in thousand TEU |
744 |
694 |
7.2 % |
In the first half of 2017, HHLA’s transport companies achieved strong growth in the highly competitive market for container traffic in the hinterland of major seaports. Transport volumes rose by 7.2 % to 744 thousand standard containers (TEU), compared with 694 thousand TEU in the same period last year. In the reporting period, this trend was driven by growth in both rail and road transport. Compared with the first half of 2016, rail transport increased by a further 5.9 % to 568 thousand TEU (previous year: 537 thousand TEU). Road transport developed very positively with growth of 11.8 % to 176 thousand TEU (previous year: 158 thousand TEU) as a result of strong freight volumes in the greater Hamburg area.
With an increase of 8.1 % to € 206.2 million (previous year: € 190.8 million), revenue climbed at a slightly faster rate than transport volumes. The marginal decline in rail’s share of HHLA’s total intermodal transportation from 77.3 % to 76.3 % was slightly more than offset by longer transport distances in rail transport.
The operating result (EBIT) increased year on year to € 34.9 million (previous year: € 33.7 million), well short of volume and revenue growth. In addition to the year-on-year increase in cost of materials for periodic maintenance work, this was due in particular to an asymmetrical relationship between import and export volumes as well as changes in the route mix.
In June 2017, the fourth METRANS hub terminal was officially opened in Budapest. With this facility, HHLA is expanding its hinterland network to include another strategic hub. Its location in the heart of Europe makes it the perfect interface between the North European seaports, the Adriatic, and Central, East and South-East Europe. Moreover, METRANS added six new locomotives to its operating fleet in the first half of the year.
There are plans to integrate the activities of POLZUG into the METRANS organisation as of next year. Pooling these activities should simplify structures and processes, thereby enabling synergies to be realised.