Rail freight between the Port of Hamburg and intermodal terminals in Austria posted a 9.3 percent gain in 2015 to a record 295,000 TEU, reports the American Journal of Transportation.

The proportion of containers on this route transported by rail exceeds 90 percent, making rail the leading mode of transport.

"Austria is a model destination in efficient and environmentally friendly hinterland transport via the Port of Hamburg," said Hamburg port marketing chief Alexander Till.

About 40 container block trains per week operate between Hamburg and Vienna. Altogether more than 80 container trains connect intermodal terminals in Austria every week with Germany's largest port.

The ports of Bremerhaven and Rotterdam, both in Northern Europe, follow in second and third place.