European rail freight operators form an alliance

Wednesday, 24 February 2010

SEVEN of Europe’s largest rail freight operators have launched a new initiative they hope will make single-wagon traffic more efficient and customer friendly.

Xrail Alliance, which was officially launched in Zurich on February 18, brings together seven operators: DB Schenker Rail, CD Cargo (Czech Republic), CFL Cargo (Luxembourg), Green Cargo (Sweden and Norway), Rail Cargo Austria, CFF Cargo (Switzerland) and SNCB Logistics (Belgium).

Its main aim is to win volumes from road operators by making cross-border single-wagon traffic in Europe more competitive by increasing reliability to at least 90%, bringing transparency by introducing international timetables from supplier siding to customer siding and offering a standard process for booking.

“Close cooperation on production and information processes can help us unlock significant potential in efficiency and quality,” Xrail project leader Günther Ferk explained.

The new alliance was welcomed by the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), which claimed that the threat to single-wagon load services was one of its members’ biggest concerns.

Secretary general Nicolette van der Jagt said: “Shippers continue to complain about unacceptable levels of service performance, lack of competition and capacity in the rail freight sector; and there is now considerable concern over the declining number of single-wagon services.

“Members of the ESC have been continuously frustrated by the inability, or unwillingness, of many rail freight service providers to improve efficiency and customer service.

“Now we see a group of rail freight operators seemingly prepared to tackle these fundamental issues, we are, of course, very interested.”