RheinCargo

What RheinCargo does

RheinCargo GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German port and rail logistics joint venture founded in 2012 by Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG (HGK) and Neuss Düsseldorfer Häfen (NDH), each holding 50%. The company operates one of Europe's largest inland port networks, comprising seven Rhine locations (Cologne-Godorf, Cologne-Niehl I, Cologne-Niehl II, Neuss, Düsseldorf, and Düsseldorf-Reisholz) covering 358 hectares with 48 crane systems. Its core proposition is trimodal logistics, integrating inland waterway, rail, and road transport under a single operator with a fleet of over 90 locomotives (largely electrified TRAXX and BR 185 series with ETCS) and 700+ freight wagons, handling over 50 million tonnes of goods annually.

RheinCargo's service portfolio spans port handling (Hafenlogistik), rail freight transport (Schienenlogistik), industrial factory rail traffic (Werksverkehr), port real estate (Immobilien), and the RheinCargo Akademie training center with interactive driving simulators. Customers are predominantly heavy industrial enterprises in chemicals, steel/metals, energy (including coal transport to STEAG and RWE power plants), and construction materials, served through direct enterprise sales with custom multimodal logistics solutions. The company operates under ISO 9001, BS OHSAS 18001, and European railway safety certifications, and extends cross-border to Switzerland and connections to Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Amsterdam seaports.

The business model is transaction-fee based, with pricing per transport volume, distance, and mode combination under multi-year contracts, supplemented by professional services for integrated supply chain solutions and licensing/royalties from port real estate. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales targeting operations and logistics decision-makers in industrial sectors, complemented by event marketing (transport logistic Munich, Hafentag), content marketing via the corporate website and blog, and organic social channels. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm is governed as a GmbH & Co. KG with headquarters in Neuss and ~1,200 employees across regional offices, port operations, and a training academy in Brühl.

Name

RheinCargo

Legal name

RheinCargo GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://rheincargo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

RheinCargo is a German port and rail logistics joint venture between HGK and NDH operating seven Rhine ports, a fleet of 90+ locomotives, and trimodal (rail, waterway, road) freight services for industrial clients in steel, chemicals, energy, and construction sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multimodal Logistics Services (Port & Rail)

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Inland Water Freight Transportation (483211)

SIC

Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013), Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Intermodal Terminal Value-Added Services (Cross-Dock, Transload, Stuffing/Stripping) (TLAJAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Intermodal Ocean-Rail (Port Rail Drayage) (TLADAFAB), Sea–Rail Landbridge Forwarding (TLACAEAF), Cross-Border Freight Brokerage (USMCA/EU, etc.) (TLADAMAN)

Keywords

• Port logistics services
• Rail freight transport
• Multimodal logistics solutions
• Inland waterway shipping
• Industrial freight forwarding

Headquarters

HQ city

Neuss

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hafenlogistik (Port Operations): Handling of goods at seven port locations along the Rhine (Köln Godorf, Köln Niehl I, Köln Niehl II, Neuss, Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf-Reisholz). Services include crane operations, cargo handling, storage, and transloading between transport modes.
2. Schienengüterverkehr (Rail Freight): Rail transport services using own locomotive fleet (over 90 locomotives) and wagons (700+), serving long-distance and regional freight movements, including dangerous goods, bulk goods, and container traffic.
3. Multimodale Transportlösungen (Multimodal Transport Solutions): Integrated logistics packages combining rail, road, and waterway transport, including consulting, planning, and execution of complete supply chain solutions for industrial customers.
4. Immobilien (Real Estate): Rental of port and logistics real estate including warehouses, storage areas, and industrial facilities at port locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RheinCargo operates one of Europe's largest inland port networks combined with a private rail freight business, delivering trimodal logistics (rail, inland waterway, road) for industrial customers. Core services include port handling and crane operations at seven Rhine locations, rail freight transport using a fleet of over 90 locomotives and 700+ wagons, and integrated multimodal transport solutions connecting customers to European seaports. The company also rents port and logistics real estate and runs a railway training academy.

Product overview

RheinCargo operates as a trimodal logistics provider offering integrated port logistics, rail freight services, and real estate management as its core product lines. The company combines waterway (inland shipping), rail, and road transport under one roof, making it one of Europe's largest inland port operators and Germany's largest private rail freight company. Key products include Hafenlogistik (port terminal operations across seven Rhine locations), Schienenlogistik (rail freight with over 90 locomotives), Werksverkehr (industrial factory rail connections), Immobilien (port real estate), and RheinCargo Akademie (railway training with driving simulators). The offerings are unified through the company's trimodal approach, connecting customers to international supply chains via Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hafenlogistik (Port Logistics) Port and harbor logistics services including cargo handling, crane operations, and terminal management at seven locations along the Rhine (Köln-Godorf, Köln-Niehl I, Köln-Niehl II, Neuss, Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf-Reisholz). Handles mass goods, containers, project cargo, and hazardous materials for industrial customers.
• Schienenlogistik (Rail Logistics) Rail freight transportation services using a fleet of over 90 largely electrified locomotives (Bombardier TRAXX AC3, BR 185) and approximately 700 freight wagons, operating regional and long-distance freight rail connections across Germany and internationally, including hazmat, bulk goods, and containers.
• Immobilien (Real Estate) Real estate management and property leasing services at port locations, offering commercial and industrial space for lease at port terminals along the Rhine.
• RheinCargo Akademie (Training Academy) Railway training and professional development services including interactive driving simulators at Brühl and Neuss, qualification programs for railway operations under EBO and BOA standards, and locomotive driver certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 80% less CO2 emissions per tonne-kilometre vs. truck transport
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• thyssenkrupp SteelmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Long-term partnership for lime transport from SCHAEFER KALK in Kerkerbach to thyssenkrupp Steel plant in Duisburg-Nord. RheinCargo's rail transport company handles the logistics.
• HGK (Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 201250% shareholder and parent company of RheinCargo. Contributed port operations and rail freight business to the joint venture. HGK operates port infrastructure in Cologne and maintains rail network connections.
• NDH (Neuss Düsseldorfer Häfen GmbH & Co. KG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 201250% shareholder and parent company of RheinCargo. Contributed port operations and rail freight assets to the joint venture. NDH operates ports in Neuss and Düsseldorf.
• HTAG Häfen und Transport AGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary of HGK, one of Germany's leading inland shipping companies. Handles ship transport, transloading and storage in Duisburg for coal transport operations.
• STEAGmajorOthersEnergy company for whom RheinCargo transports coal to six power plants (6.5 million tonnes total contract). Partnership with NIAG for combined rail-waterway transport.
• NIAG (Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe AG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRailway company coordinating coal transport from Duisburg/Moers to STEAG power plants. RheinCargo cooperates with NIAG for combined logistics operations.
• RWE Power AGmajorOthersEnergy company customer. RheinCargo transports coal from Duisburg to RWE power plant Voerde (27,000 tonnes/month).
• Rhenus PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInland shipping partner handling approximately 4.6 million tonnes of coal transport via Rhine waterway for STEAG supply chain.
• Rheinland Cargo Schweiz / MEVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Switzerland traffic. HGK subsidiary Rheinland Cargo Schweiz and service provider MEV support RhineCargo operations to Switzerland (Zizers).
• SCHAEFER KALKmajorOthersLime producer supplying thyssenkrupp Steel. RheinCargo handles rail transport of lime from Kerkerbach to thyssenkrupp Steel in Duisburg-Nord.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Imperial Logistics (DSV): Pan-European logistics provider (acquired by DSV in 2023) with road, rail and intermodal capabilities serving industrial shippers. Overlaps with RheinCargo in European multimodal distribution for chemicals, steel and consumer goods.
• SBB Cargo AG: Swiss Federal Railways' freight division, the former employer of RheinCargo's railway Geschäftsführer. Competes with RheinCargo for cross-border Alpine and German rail freight, including single-wagonload and intermodal services.
• HGK (Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG): One of RheinCargo's two 50/50 parent companies and itself a major Cologne port and rail freight operator. While structurally related, HGK retains adjacent port and shipping operations that compete for similar Rhineland customers outside the RheinCargo perimeter.
• DB Cargo (Deutsche Bahn): Germany's and Europe's largest rail freight operator, a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. Overlaps with RheinCargo on single-wagonload, block-train and intermodal services across the same German industrial customer base, but operates nationally and across all verticals.

Direct peers

• Hupac Intermodal SA: Swiss-based intermodal operator running trans-Alpine and north-south rail services between Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the Benelux. Comparable to RheinCargo's cross-border intermodal ambitions and shares the Switzerland lane where RheinCargo operates via Rheinland Cargo Schweiz.
• Contargo GmbH & Co. KG: Inland waterway container logistics specialist operating terminals along the Rhine and connecting to North Sea ports. Comparable to RheinCargo's container and intermodal waterway business with overlapping customer base of shippers and forwarders.
• Duisport (Duisburger Hafen AG): Largest inland port in Europe, located at the confluence of Rhine and Ruhr. Directly comparable as a Rhine-based multimodal port and logistics operator with similar cargo mix (coal, steel, containers) and own rail/water infrastructure.
• Rhenus Logistics: German-headquartered inland shipping and multimodal logistics provider active on the Rhine, including a coal-transport partnership with RheinCargo. Comparable as a competitor and partner in Rhine inland waterway bulk and container logistics.
• NIAG (Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe AG): Lower Rhine rail and inland shipping operator that cooperates with RheinCargo on STEAG coal transport. Directly comparable regional peer with overlapping rail and waterway services for industrial customers in the same geography.
• Kombiverkehr KG: German intermodal operator coordinating combined road-rail freight across Europe. Comparable to RheinCargo's intermodal rail-road offering, targeting similar industrial shippers seeking to shift long-haul volumes from truck to rail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RheincargoGmbhCoKg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rheincargo
• Instagraminstagram.com/rheincargo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RheinCargo