Rail freight operations across Europe remain under heavy pressure as prolonged winter conditions affect ports, railway infrastructure and terminal operations.
Ports: Hamburg closed, restrictions across the North Sea range
The Port of Hamburg has suspended operations, with rail access severely restricted. According to operators active in the area, handling at port terminals has slowed to a minimum, leading to an increasing number of undelivered trains. Further snowfall and a planned full closure in the Elbe Valley from Friday to Sunday are expected to prolong the disruption.
In Bremerhaven, more than 20 cm of snow has been recorded, while Wilhelmshaven is so far operating with fewer complications. Elsewhere in Northern Europe, ports including Rotterdam and Gdańsk are also affected by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures, with rail and terminal operations subject to repeated interruptions.
North: capacity constraints and terminal shutdowns
Rail services to and from Hamburg are being accepted by Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) only on an approval basis and in very limited numbers. METRANS reports that, due to slow terminal handling, it is no longer able to meet daily schedules and has significantly reduced further loadings in the Hamburg direction.
In the Benelux region, severe weather is affecting both infrastructure and terminal access. ProRail is issuing continuous operational restrictions across the Dutch network. Terminals in Rotterdam and Antwerp are suspending operations several times a day, while RSC Rotterdam was also inaccessible by rail. The DIT Duisburg terminal in Germany is also reporting weather-related operational problems. Significant delays are being reported on both train and shipment level.
South: Hungary, Slovenia and border sections impacted
Snowfall has also disrupted rail freight further south. Rail traffic in Slovenia and Hungary, as well as at border crossings between Croatia–Hungary and Serbia–Hungary, is facing delays.
In Hungary, infrastructure manager MÁV lifted the nationwide suspension of freight train operations on 8 January 2026 at 08:00. Despite the restart, operators including METRANS continue to report delays of approximately 24–30 hours. For operational reasons, four pairs of METRANS trains towards Koper were cancelled on the previous day.
Germany: Deutsche Bahn limits operations
In Northern and North-Eastern Germany, Deutsche Bahn (DB) has introduced precautionary measures affecting both passenger and freight traffic. Long-distance services have been reduced, and temporary speed limits of 200 km/h have been imposed on selected high-speed corridors, including Berlin–Wolfsburg, Hanover–Würzburg, and Cologne–Rhine/Main.
DB confirms that snowdrifts, icing on overhead lines and blocked switches are creating operational bottlenecks. Despite winter preparedness measures such as switch heating, snowploughs and standby heavy locomotives, extreme weather conditions are exceeding technical limits in parts of the network.
Netherlands: winter timetables and freight disruption
In the Netherlands, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is operating under a winter timetable, with reduced frequencies across large parts of the network. Freight operators are reporting substantial disruption, while Eurocity Direct services are suspended. Regional passenger operators including Arriva, Keolis and Qbuzz are running modified timetables on several routes.
Infrastructure manager ProRail has deployed additional snow and emergency response teams, but warns that further cancellations and delays remain likely, particularly in the northern provinces under elevated weather warnings.
Outlook for next days
Rail freight operators state that the overall operational situation continues to affect inland terminals and cross-border flows. With further snowfall forecast and infrastructure restrictions remaining in place, disruption across Northern Europe’s rail freight network is expected to continue, with recovery dependent on weather conditions over the coming days.
