The ferry lines form the backbone of the port’s business, rising up to 5.1 million tons (plus 1.3 %) and thereby making up more than 80 % of the total handling rate. The biggest increase was achieved by Stena Line on its route Kiel-Gothenburg, while DFDS Seaways features the highest transport volume. The development of Kiel’s rail/ship intermodal handling business was outstanding, increasing by 14.7 % to nearly 24,000 cargo units. At the beginning of February 2014, the portfolio will be extended once again by a direct train link between Kiel and Duisburg. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG: “The market environment is not all that easy, however, we have successfully maintained the high handling level at the port of Kiel. New rail freight services and an improved handling technology led to a growth surge in intermodal transport.”
Handling bulk goods also turned out positive, increasing by 0.6 % to a total of 1.2 million tons.
1.94 million passengers travelled on ferries or cruise ships from and to Kiel. This corresponds to an increase of 1.4 % compared to the same period of the previous year. When including excursion traffic, there were even more than 2 million passengers transported.