Germany’s transport sector is finally emerging from the under the shadow of the nation’s world beating export industries, from cars to machine tools, whose record profits stand out in a recession-mired Europe thanks to explosive sales growth in China and other emerging markets.

German transporters have leveraged a solid domestic cargo base to establish pan-European and global logistics networks on land, on sea and in the air at a time when their European rivals are retreating to the (illusory) comfort of their domestic markets.