EUROPE: Swedish freight operator Green Cargo has restructured its international train services with the aim of simplifying operations, reducing costs and cutting transit times.
As well as international wagonload services to multiple destinations which are provided in conjunction with train operators in other countries, Green Cargo runs four direct international trains from Malmö to Kolding, Antwerpen, Linz and Treviso.
The Denmark Direct service which runs five times a week between Malmö and Kolding in Jylland was previously operated by DB Cargo Scandinavia before being taken over by Green Cargo. The Swedish company has now decided to subcontract the operation of the service back to DB Cargo Scandinavia in order to increase capacity.
Belgium Direct currently runs three times a week between Malmö and Antwerpen, but Green Cargo is looking to increase this service to four or five trips per week.
The thrice-weekly Italy Direct and Austria Direct services previously operated via the Trelleborg – Sassnitz train ferry, but since January 3 these trains have been rerouted to run through Denmark, crossing the German border at Padborg. In addition, the Austria Direct service has been diverted to call at the Rheinkamp hub in the Ruhr, west of Duisburg.
According to Green Cargo Marketing Director Richard Kirchner, ‘with the re-routing of Austria Direct we are opening up new opportunities for transport between Belgium, France and western Germany to and from Sweden’.
The Austria Direct trains are hauled by Green Cargo’s Traxx multi-system electric locomotives between Malmö and the Maschen marshalling yard near Hamburg, with the Swedish company operating the trains as far as Padborg and Lineas contracted to take them on to Maschen. ÖBB subsidiary Rail Cargo Group handles the trains between Maschen, Rheinkamp and Linz, where it already runs its own services.
