Uncoordinated infrastructure works are causing serious disruptions in rail freight transport across Europe, increasingly pushing traffic back onto roads. While Hungary’s loaded maritime container traffic increased by more than 12,000 TEU quarter-on-quarter, the growth is mainly driven by imports, with exports barely moving. At the same time, rail and port capacities are struggling to keep up. According to the Association of Hungarian Logistics Service Centres, it is uncertain whether Hungary will be able to handle the growing cargo volumes by rail and intermodal solutions, or whether more than 174,000 truckloads per year will shift to road transport.
According to aggregated data from the Association, Hungary’s loaded maritime container traffic in Q1 2026 exceeded the same period of 2025 by 12.4%. This growth builds on a strong start last year, as Q1 2025 had already seen a 13.9% increase. Based on two consecutive strong first quarters, the market has clearly expanded. However, the growing cargo volumes are placing increasing pressure on international supply chains. The growth has been largely driven by raw material deliveries linked to factory construction, the expansion of e-commerce, and gradually strengthening consumer demand.
A key signal: the market is driven by imports
Maritime container traffic has become even more import-driven. Nearly three times as much cargo arrived in Hungary by sea as was shipped out, which is one of the most important market signals according to the Association. This was also reflected in strong price competition, with significant overcapacity on several routes, especially towards the Far East, where freight rates in some cases dropped to extremely low levels. This clearly shows that shipping lines and freight forwarders are competing for limited export volumes.
However, decisions are no longer driven solely by price. Due to port congestion, rail capacity shortages, detour routes, and unreliable schedules, predictability has become just as important. This shift also highlights the vulnerability of the Hungarian market. Handling increasing container volumes requires stable port, rail, and terminal infrastructure, yet these are currently the weakest points of the system.
Hungary’s maritime container market has also been heavily affected by international supply chain disruptions. Due to conflicts in the Middle East, many vessels continued to avoid the Red Sea, resulting in longer routes and increased transit times. In addition, container shortages emerged in several regions, as empty containers often did not return to where they were needed.
Freight transport forced onto trucks across Europe
Uncoordinated railway infrastructure works at the European level are causing severe disruptions in rail freight transport and are increasingly shifting traffic back to roads. According to the Association’s data, around 71,349 TEU of container traffic was diverted from rail to road between ports and hinterland connections, meaning rail freight has lost a massive volume even within a single quarter.
