METRANS Rail

What METRANS Rail does

METRANS Rail s.r.o. is a Czech private limited-company rail freight carrier headquartered in Prague, founded in 2003 as RAILTRANS s.r.o. and renamed in 2014 following full acquisition by METRANS a.s. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary within the METRANS Group, which is itself affiliated with HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik). METRANS Rail specializes in combined (intermodal) transport, dispatching 180–200 block trains weekly on regular and ad-hoc schedules between Prague Uhříněves and major European destinations including Rotterdam, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Duisburg, and Salzburg, with licensed operations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and network reach extending into Germany, Austria, Poland, and Hungary via sister METRANS Group companies.

Core technical assets include a fleet of modern Bombardier TRAXX MS2 multi-system locomotives that enable cross-border operation without locomotive changes at national frontiers, and a proprietary GPS-based train position tracking system that supplies customers with real-time arrival estimates. Beyond scheduled container trains, METRANS Rail offers ad-hoc block train transport, special transport for oversized and unapproved cargo, and railway siding traffic operations at METRANS terminals. The company is also a founding member of ŽESNAD.CZ, the Czech association of railway freight carriers.

The business model is B2B rail freight services sold through direct enterprise contracts; the primary customer is the parent METRANS a.s., with whom the company has run the Prague–Rotterdam service since 2010. Pricing is negotiated contractually on a route, volume, and service basis rather than published. The GTM motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging METRANS Group membership for distribution across Central Europe. The company holds a freight and passenger rail license plus a valid safety certificate, and operates with GDPR-compliant data handling and a whistleblower system under Czech Law No. 171/2023.

Name

METRANS Rail

Legal name

METRANS Rail s.r.o.

Website

https://metransrail.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

METRANS Rail is a Czech rail freight carrier and METRANS Group subsidiary operating combined (intermodal) block trains across Central Europe, dispatching 180–200 trains weekly between Prague and ports including Rotterdam, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Duisburg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Freight Transport Services

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111), Rail Transportation (4821), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (488210)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Intermodal Rail-Truck (COFC/TOFC) (TLADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intermodal Rail Forwarding (Rail-Truck / Rail-Port Drayage) (TLACADAC), Rail Terminal Switching, Shunting & Yard Locomotive Services (TLAJAFAF), Intermodal Terminal Value-Added Services (Cross-Dock, Transload, Stuffing/Stripping) (TLAJAFAL)

Keywords

• Rail freight transport
• Intermodal container transport
• Combined transport services
• Block train operations
• Cross-border rail logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Rail Freight Transport Services: Revenue generated from providing rail freight transport services including block train operations, combined/intermodal transport, and railway siding traffic at terminals. Services are delivered to enterprise customers including METRANS Group companies and external logistics operators across Central Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

METRANS Rail operates combined (intermodal) rail freight transport across Central Europe, dispatching approximately 180-200 block trains weekly using multi-system locomotives that run across borders without locomotive changes. Core services include regular container train services (e.g., Prague Uhříněves – Rotterdam, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Duisburg, Salzburg), ad-hoc block train transport, special transport for oversized cargo and unapproved vehicles, and railway siding operations at terminals within the METRANS network. The company also provides GPS-based real-time train position tracking for customer visibility on arrival times.

Product overview

METRANS Rail is a Czech rail freight carrier specializing in combined (intermodal) transport services. The company operates a fleet of modern multi-system locomotives (including Bombardier TRAXX MS2) and dispatches 200 block trains weekly. Core offerings include regular container train services on routes between Prague and major European ports/terminals (Hamburg, Rotterdam, Duisburg, Salzburg), ad-hoc block train transport, special transport for oversized cargo and unapproved vehicles, and railway siding operations at terminals. The company provides GPS-based train position tracking for real-time customer visibility. Services are licensed for both freight and passenger rail transport in Czech Republic and Slovakia, with operations extending to Germany, Austria, Poland, and Hungary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Combined Rail Freight Transport Block train operations and combined (intermodal) rail freight transport across Central Europe, including Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Hungary. Targets enterprise logistics operators and intermodal transport companies requiring reliable scheduled rail freight.
• Container Train Services Just-in-time container train transport on regular schedules connecting Prague to major European ports and hubs including Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Duisburg, and Salzburg. Designed for intermodal logistics operators needing time-sensitive scheduled container movements.
• Ad-hoc Block Train Transport On-demand block train transport services for commodities both within and outside the combined transport segment, for shippers requiring flexible scheduling rather than regular scheduled routes.
• Special Transport Services Specialized rail freight transport including transportation of unapproved vehicles for testing purposes and oversized cargo. Targets specialized freight shippers with non-standard logistics requirements.
• Railway Siding Operations Railway siding traffic operations at terminals within the METRANS terminal network, providing terminal operators with internal rail operations and siding traffic management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weekly dispatch of 180-200 block trains
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• TSD GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2003German railway carrier TSD GmbH was the initial cooperation partner at the company's founding in 2003. The cooperation ensured train operations without changing locomotives at the border, using the first two V 100 diesel locomotives approved in both Germany and Czech Republic.
• ŽESNAD.CZminorOthersMETRANS Rail is a founding member of the Association of Railway Freight Carriers ŽESNAD.CZ, which defends the interests of freight rail carriers in the Czech Republic.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DB Cargo: Europe's largest rail freight operator and a broad incumbent that competes with METRANS Rail across most Central European corridors, including the Czech–German axis.

Direct peers

• Lineas: Belgium's largest private rail freight operator with growing intermodal services in Western/Central Europe. Comparable private-rail B2B freight model to METRANS Rail.
• ÖBB Rail Cargo Group: Austrian rail freight operator and a direct peer on cross-border Central European intermodal corridors. Competes with METRANS Rail on routes linking Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, and Hungary.
• Rail Cargo Hungary: Hungarian rail freight operator providing block-train and intermodal services. Direct peer in the Hungarian leg of Central European corridors served by METRANS Rail.
• ČD Cargo: Czech national rail freight operator and direct competitor to METRANS Rail in the Czech combined-transport market. Operates block trains on overlapping Central European corridors including routes to German ports.
• PKP Cargo: Poland's primary rail freight carrier and a direct peer on Central European intermodal flows. Competes on east–west corridors METRANS Rail serves between Poland, Germany, and Czech Republic.
• SBB Cargo: Swiss rail freight operator with cross-border intermodal services into Germany and neighboring markets. Comparable in business model (B2B block train, combined transport) to METRANS Rail.

Regional players

• BLS Cargo: Swiss-Italian rail freight joint venture operating intermodal block trains through Alpine corridors. Comparable business model focused on cross-border combined transport.

Others

• HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik): Parent group of METRANS a.s. and operator of Hamburg port and intermodal terminals. Provides the broader ecosystem and port-hinterland flows that METRANS Rail's anchor routes depend on.
• METRANS a.s. Parent company and primary customer of METRANS Rail. Directly comparable intermodal terminal operator and rail logistics provider in the same Central European network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metrans-rail

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 METRANS Rail