HSL Logistik

What HSL Logistik does

HSL Logistik GmbH is a Hamburg-based, privately held rail freight transport company (Eisenbahnverkehrsunternehmen, EVU) founded in 2003 and operating across more than seven European countries. It is the largest privately-run EVU in Germany with approximately 5% national market share and the 5th largest EVU overall based on ton-kilometers, transporting roughly 12 million tons of freight in 2024 across steel, gypsum, automobiles, containers, grain, construction machinery, liquid fuels, sugar beets, wood, and feed. Since January 2023, HSL has been owned by TX Logistik AG as part of the FS Logistix Gruppe, sitting alongside sister companies VIA CARGO, DeltaRail, and HSL Belgium under Exploris Deutschland Holding GmbH.

The company operates a multi-system locomotive fleet assembled through lease partnerships, including five Euro9000 multi-system dual-mode locomotives on a 10-year Full-Service lease with European Loc Pool (deliveries 2023-2025), Traxx AC3 locomotives (Baureihe 186/187) leased from Akiem, hybrid Alstom Prima H3 shunting locomotives deployed at Rostock Seehafen and Bremen inland ports, and additional electric locomotives. Operations are supported by wholly owned subsidiaries in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Slovakia, and by service infrastructure including an in-house Mission Control center at HSL Netherlands (established March 2023). Sustainability is a deliberate strategic pillar: 100% green electricity procurement since 2021, formalized through a Power Purchase Agreement with GETEC ENERGIE effective January 2024 covering more than 50,500 MWh annually from German wind and solar installations, plus ISO 50001 energy management certification in 2025.

HSL generates revenue through contract-based B2B rail freight services priced on ton-kilometers, train runs, and negotiated multi-year agreements (no public pricing). Go-to-market is sales-led, targeting industrial verticals (heavy manufacturing, steel, automotive, chemicals/hazardous goods, agricultural bulk) and port/logistics hub operators (Stena Line railway ferry partnership formalized 2021, Rostock Trimodal, Großtanklager-Ölhafen Rostock). Customer channels are direct enterprise sales with no reseller network. Compliance infrastructure underpins the sales motion: Single Safety Certificate from the European Railway Agency valid until 2029, SQAS Rail 91% score (April 2025), GMP+ B4 Transport certification for feedstuffs, AEO, and ECM certifications, which collectively function as gatekeepers for chemical, hazardous goods, and feed customers. Leadership transitioned in 2025-2026 from founders Haiko Böttcher and Andrzej Lewczuk to a new dual-leadership team of Peter Biskup (effective January 2026) and Stefan Frankowski (effective May 2026).

Name

HSL Logistik

Legal name

HSL Logistik GmbH

Website

https://hsl-logistik.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HSL Logistik GmbH is a Hamburg-based private rail freight operator and the largest privately-run EVU in Germany (~5% market share), transporting 12 million tons annually across 7+ European countries under multi-country licenses, with a fleet including Euro9000, Traxx AC3, and hybrid Alstom Prima H3 locomotives and subsidiaries in Czechia, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Freight Transport Services

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Transportation of Crude & Refined Products (EUALADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Liquid Hazmat / Chemical Tank Transport (DOT/ADR tankers) (TLADAIAB), Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) TL Carriers (TLADADAH)

Keywords

• Rail freight transport
• Freight rail services
• Cross-border rail
• Shunting services
• Intermodal transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Rail Freight Transportation: HSL Logistik operates as a Rail Freight Transport Company (Eisenbahnverkehrsunternehmen - EVU) providing freight transportation services across Europe. The company transports goods including steel, gypsum, automobiles, containers, grain, construction machinery, liquid fuels, wood, sugar beets, and feed. Services include mainline operations and shunting/rangier services at ports and industrial facilities.
2. Shunting and Port Operations: Shunting services at major German ports including Rostock Seehafen and Bremen Inland Port, serving customers like Stena Line, Rostock Trimodal GmbH Terminal for combined transport, and Gross Tanklager-Ölhafen Rostock GmbH.
3. Railway Ferry Operations: Services supporting railway ferry operations including train formation and shunting for direct trains and combined transport (KV) trains at Rostock port connecting to Trelleborg, Eskilstuna, and Oslo/Alnabru via Stena Line.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HSL Logistik is a privately-run railway freight transport company (Eisenbahnverkehrsunternehmen - EVU) that operates cross-border rail freight services across Europe. The company transports bulk goods such as steel, gypsum, automobiles, containers, grain, construction machinery, liquid fuels, sugar beets, wood, and feedstuffs, and provides shunting and port handling services at major German ports including Rostock and Bremen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rail Freight Transport Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 million tons of freight transported by rail in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Freiwillige Feuerwehr RostockminorOthers · 30 September 2025Joint emergency exercise participant at Rostock on September 30, 2025, simulating hazardous goods incident with tank car and injured person. Also involved Berufsfeuerwehr Rostock, T-G-R Rostock, and CTL Logistics for coordinated emergency response training.
• CTL LogisticsminorOthers · 30 September 2025Participated in joint emergency exercise at Rostock alongside HSL Logistik, Freiwillige Feuerwehr Rostock, Berufsfeuerwehr Rostock, and T-G-R Rostock for coordinated training on hazardous goods rail emergencies.
• GETEC ENERGIE GmbHcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for green electricity supply since January 1, 2024. GETEC supplies over 50,000 MWh annually from German photovoltaic and wind parks in Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate. Partnership enables HSL's sustainability goals with traceable green electricity from identifiable renewable sources.
• European Loc Pool (ELP)coreTechnology or Integration · 25 May 2021Full-service rental agreement signed May 25, 2021, for 5 EURO9000 multi-system dual-mode locomotives with 10-year term. Delivery scheduled for summer 2023 onwards. The locomotives provide high tractive effort on 6 axles with Last-Mile capability and diesel-boost mode for non-electrified sections. This partnership enables HSL to offer seamless point-to-point service across Europe.
• Stena LinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Sustainability-focused partnership for rail-ferry operations at Rostock port. HSL handles shunting and train formation for Stena Line's direct trains and combined transport (KV) connections to Trelleborg, Eskilstuna, and Oslo/Alnabru. Partnership formalized in 2021 framework agreement. Both companies share strategic focus on sustainable transport solutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Railpool: Railpool is one of Europe's largest locomotive leasing companies, providing Traxx locomotives and other rolling stock. It is comparable as an infrastructure partner that supplies locomotives to HSL (e.g., Traxx 187 313 leased since 2022) and competes in the broader rail freight ecosystem.
• Akiem: Akiem is a European locomotive leasing company providing Traxx AC3 locomotives and other rolling stock to rail freight operators. It is comparable to HSL as Akiem is an existing locomotive supplier to HSL's fleet (Traxx AC3 locomotives leased since 2017).
• European Loc Pool (ELP): ELP is a locomotive leasing company that provides multi-system locomotives to rail freight operators across Europe. It is comparable to HSL as HSL's key strategic supplier under a 10-year lease for 5 Euro9000 locomotives, making it a critical infrastructure partner rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Lineas: Lineas is the largest private rail freight operator in Belgium, operating cross-border freight services across Europe. It is comparable to HSL as a similarly-sized private European rail freight competitor with overlapping geography in Benelux and Germany.
• Captrain: Captrain is the rail freight division of SNCF Group, operating across multiple European countries with similar cross-border B2B freight services. It is directly comparable to HSL as a multi-country private/public rail freight operator serving industrial customers with similar cargo types.

Regional players

• PKP Cargo: PKP Cargo is Poland's largest rail freight operator with cross-border services into Germany, Czech Republic, and other Central European countries. It is comparable as HSL operates in the same Central European freight market with overlapping Poland-Germany traffic.
• SBB Cargo: SBB Cargo is the Swiss national rail freight operator, primarily serving Switzerland with cross-border connections to Germany, Italy, and France. It is comparable to HSL as HSL operates cross-border services into Switzerland (e.g., sugar beet transport to Frauenfeld).
• ÖBB Rail Cargo Group: ÖBB Rail Cargo Group is the Austrian national rail freight operator with extensive cross-border operations across Central and Eastern Europe. It is comparable as HSL holds Austrian operating licenses and competes on the same Central European freight corridors.
• CFL cargo: CFL cargo is the Luxembourg-based rail freight operator with cross-border services primarily in the Benelux and France/Germany corridors. It is comparable as a smaller European private/public rail freight operator with similar cross-border B2B freight model.

Broad incumbents

• DB Cargo (Deutsche Bahn): DB Cargo is the largest rail freight operator in Germany and Europe, part of Deutsche Bahn group. It is comparable as the dominant broad incumbent that competes with HSL on the same German rail freight network, but operates at much larger scale across multiple freight segments and geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HSLLogistik
• Facebookfacebook.com/HSLLogistik
• Instagraminstagram.com/hsllogistik
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hsllogistik

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries8 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 HSL Logistik