RheinCargo Takes Over 73 New Container Flatcars

The railway division of the logistics service provider RheinCargo continues to invest in the expansion and modernization of its vehicle fleet. After already taking over 28 new special wagons for salt transport at the beginning of the year, 73 new container flatcars are now following.

(Neuss/Cologne) The new wagons of the type “Sggnss 80 XL” from the Slovak manufacturer Tatravagonka boast an impressive length of around 26 meters. These models are the longest freely usable four-axle wagons on the market. They replace the previous six-axle articulated wagons and some shorter four-axle wagons at RheinCargo. The advantage: In the latest optimized XL version, the vehicles offer more flexible loading options for all common container sizes in various combinations due to the extremely long area that is not interrupted by a joint.

To ensure that the new wagons can also navigate tight curves, they are designed to be narrower in the middle section. This also contributes to a reduction in weight. Compared to the previously used six-axle articulated wagons, the new wagons are 6.5 tons lighter and 23 percent more efficient (own weight per TEU).

Especially Quiet Wagons

The 73 wagons will be used in container traffic from Cologne and Düsseldorf to Rotterdam for RheinCargo customers CTS and DCH. This allows the companies to ship up to four additional containers on a train of the same length. At the same time, the empty weight of the train is reduced, allowing significantly more payload to be transported. This makes the trains even more efficient and thus more environmentally friendly. The wagons are also particularly quiet in operation, significantly exceeding the tightened noise protection limits. “We are pleased to be able to further increase sustainability, efficiency, and flexibility for our customers with the investment in the new freight wagons,” explains Daniel Jacobs, head of RheinCargo’s vehicle management in the railway division.

The first 25 new wagons have already been delivered. Due to the Corona restrictions, the transaction was handled completely digitally, from ordering to delivery to the acceptance of the vehicles. During the delivery phase, new wagons were virtually inspected almost daily via video stream. Despite the exceptional situation due to the pandemic, production, delivery, and acceptance have worked excellently so far.

Photo: © RheinCargo/Pütz