enice, October 28th 2025 – The Port of Venice continues to confirm its role as a key logistics hub, connecting Central and Eastern Europe with Far East markets. Starting today, a regular service connecting the first European Volkswagen manufacturing plant, located in Bratislava, Slovakia, with Chinese ports has been launched. Vehicles produced in Bratislava are transported by train to the Tencara Terminal, situated at the end of the Southern Industrial Canal in Porto Marghera. They are then staged on newly constructed yards and loaded onto ships operated by Glovis and Cosco, destined for China.
The maritime line service for Volkswagen begins with a vessel call every fifteen days, aiming to reach a full schedule by January 2026, with one ship per week and approximately 20 trains arriving each week. At full capacity, an estimated annual transit volume of around 100,000 vehicles through Venice Port is anticipated. Over 90% of vehicle transportation is carried out by train, offering significant benefits in terms of CO2 emissions reduction. The line transit time between Venice and the Far East is approximately 30 days.
A new site, previously occupied by disused areas, is now operational, connected to the railway network and converted for logistics functions. This achievement was facilitated by the Simplified Logistics Zone (ZLS), established at Porto Marghera to simplify customs and administrative procedures, promoting the establishment of new manufacturing and logistics activities. The ZLS has notably reduced waiting times for authorizations related to these new activities.
Following the authorization, Tencara Terminal has made substantial investments to enhance its infrastructure, positioning itself as a significant player in the international automotive sector. The construction of a new quay of just under 300 meters in length now allows the mooring of large ships, ensuring sufficient capacity for loading operations. Concurrently, new logistical yards covering over 27 hectares have been developed, providing Volkswagen and other automakers with efficient and optimized logistics services, supporting fully intermodal management via ship/train exchanges.
The Extraordinary Commissioner of the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, Matteo Gasparato, states: “The results achieved today confirm the potential of Venice Port. Potentials that we must be fully able to realize. The Semplify Logistic Zone has proven to be a strategic lever for attracting investments in otherwise disused areas and developing new economic opportunities in the region. Likewise, ongoing and planned investments by AdSP are directed towards the development of railway and intermodal infrastructure to enhance traffic efficiency. Now, we must fully foster a strategic synergy within the entire Veneto logistics system, which highlights Venice’s role as a European port hub in close connection with the equally significant interports of our region. In this way, we will be able to concretely demonstrate, as we have seen today, that we are capable of competing in European markets, enabling our port system to grow even further in the future.”
Peter Hörndlein, managing director of vehicle logistics at Volkswagen Group Logistics, states: “Today we celebrate an idea becoming reality. For our group, Venice is a strategic port, a port we have chosen to achieve significant goals, both in terms of environmental sustainability, connecting Central and Eastern European production with Asia, and in terms of trade, ensuring shortened transit times for our customers. I would like to thank all the stakeholders involved in this project, especially the Port Authority for its institutional collaboration and the terminal for its operational collaboration and the works completed. I wish a bright future for the Port of Venice”.
