VTG-DB Cargo consortium successfully completed the research project on the development of innovative freight wagons, after a two-and-a-half-year runtime, including 12 operational months spent traveling 150,000 km across Europe.
“The newly developed wagon types have been added to our regular rental portfolio and will be available to our customers in the future. That means we are making rail freight traffic even more attractive,” Heiko Fischer, CEO of VTG AG said.
The two companies highlighted that the wagons use between two and three percent less energy and, in addition, customer-oriented adjustments and new digital modules optimize both dispatch and operations, making them even more cost-effective. VTG and DB Cargo will remain committed to the ongoing joint development of multifunctional freight wagons with modular frames. The aim is to make rail freight transport even more cost-effective by deploying wagons more flexibly.
DB Cargo has already ordered 300 innovative freight wagons. The new car transporter wagon and the multifunctional flat wagon for steel shipments (BraCoil) mark the next step in the freight carrier’s modernization course, in line with its “agenda for better railways”. “We are continuing to invest in our fleet and are opting for flexible freight wagons. They improve the quality of our transports and make them more economical, but they also add value for our customers,” Roland Bosch, CEO of DB Cargo, said.
The innovative freight wagons project was launched in 2016, with test operations commencing in March 2018. EUR 18 million funding was awarded by the Federal Ministry of Transport, while DB Cargo and VTG shouldered all procurement costs, which added up to roughly EUR 4.5 million.
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