Recently, the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) was able to arrange the first test train for the transport logistics specialist Hödlmayr Rail Logistics GmbH from Barcelona, Spain, to St. Valentin/Schwertberg in Upper Austria. New vehicles underwent eco-friendly transportation by rail from Spain to Austria. Shifting goods transport from road to rail is crucial in allowing us to achieve climate targets in Austria and in Europe. Transporting a tonne of freight by rail is 30 times better for the environment than transporting it by truck.
RCG Spokesman of the Board, Clemens Först expressed his delight about the debut journey: “This first test train from Spain to Austria and back demonstrates the capabilities of our railway logistics solutions here at the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group. I would like to personally thank our partners, Fret SNCF/Rail Logistics Europe and Hödlmayr International, for their competent, professional work on this project. Together we have laid the foundations for regular, sustainable TransFER connections to Barcelona and back.”
Fret SNCF Director of Solution Design and partenerships., Landry Eymard, expresses his satisfaction and the group’s pride to contribute to this traffic: “This modal shift, which serves ecology, is a new example of the possibilities that rail offers for international transport. We have to maintain this dynamic and develop our competitiveness with the road for long distance traffic.”
Liudmyla Tarasenko, General Manager at Hödlmayr Rail Logistics GmbH, added: “With this new transport link between Spain and Austria, we can save over 2,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year in comparison to truck transport. For Hödlmayer, a continued shift towards rail transport is central to achieving the goals in our sustainability strategy, some of which are even more ambitious than those set out by the EU.”
From the first train to regular operation
The second test train will be announced in the next few weeks, allowing planning for regular operation to finally begin. The current concept plans for one weekly round trip between Austria and Spain. However, the vision for the future involves increasing this to three or four round trips per week. ÖBB Rail Cargo Group organized the whole transport between Spain and Austria. Together with its sister company Captrain Espana, French railway company Fret SNCF operates as the carrier for the section between Saarbrücken and Barcelona. Thanks to the brand-new Euro 6000 locomotives acquired by Captrain Espagna, able to run both in Spain and in France, the trains are routed via the line Perpignan – Barcelona (UIC gauge) and avoid any axles change operations in Cerbère, where the line at UIC gauge connects to the line at Spanish gauge. Transport is faster and seamless.
