BLS buying in; RCG expanding
The German logistician Rhenus is selling Belgium’s Crossrail to BLS Cargo; the latter has thus strengthened its north–south corridor through Switzerland. In Austria in turn, RCG is expanding its services between Venice and Duisburg.
Belgium is a key market for BLS Cargo. The Swiss railfreight operator generates around one third of its total turnover with transports that start or end in Belgium. This market will become even more important in the future, as BLS Cargo has now taken over the Belgian cargo railway Crossrail.
Improving access to Belgian ports
Crossrail previously belonged to Rhenus and is mainly active in Germany and Belgium. Both railway firms concentrate on the Belgium–Germany–Switzerland–Italy corridor, but Dirk Stahl, chief executive officer of BLS Cargo, does not envisage problematic duplications. “We complement each other rather well, actually, from a geographical point of view. This takeover will enable us to further improve our position in this corridor and also expand our connections to and from the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge.”
From Venice to Duisburg
News from the eastern end of the Alps, in turn, has it that the Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is further expanding its range of services. The subsidiary of the Austrian state-owned railway ÖBB now connects the port of Venice with a bimodal terminal in Duisburg. The nonstop connection is operated three times a week. Duisburg serves as an ideal gateway for transport services to and from Scandinavia; the port of Venice is this on course for further growth with services to and from the region.
RCG has thus created a further promising connection with this new option. From Venice, RCG offers ferry services to and from Brindisi, Patras and Pendik, thus extending its logistics services all the way to Greece and Turkey. This will not only connect Germany’s Ruhr basin to northern Italy, but also bring northern and southern Europe closer together by rail.
