The facility will, the officials added, become an indispensable part of industrial and logistic chains in the Rhine-Neckar region because not only is it one of very few German Rhine terminals offering safe and secure storage for hazardous cargo containers, but also because it has trimodal - rail, road, and water capability but also storage facilities. Three portal cranes are on hand for intermodal transfer.

The 81,000 sq m terminal is one of the biggest on the Central/ Upper Rhine and has cost €40m.

The Berlin Government paid €25m of that as part of its efforts to promote intermodal transport in and through Germany, long one of Europe's busiest transit nations.

TriPort, which is being operated by subsidiaries of the Rhenus Group, adds another link to that giant transport and logistics concern's chain of container terminals along the Rhine. A 390m quayside enables simultaneous handling of two vessels of up to 135m length. Rail handling is via two rail tracks capable of handling up to 12 block trains a week.

'TriPort will become an indispensable part of the industrial processing chain not only in the Rhine-Neckar region but also far beyond it', said TriPort Joint MD Thomas Loeffler. General Manager Hans-Peter Hofman said "The new terminal will make it possible to transfer more truck traffic onto rail and waterway, combating congestion clogging Germany's motorways".