For ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG), the arguments in favour of rail could not be better. The incumbent freight rail carrier still operates single wagonload traffic, and the demand for environmentally friendly logistics in this country is higher than average. RCG does its best to support it.
“We currently see great potential in the reactivation of sidings that have been inactive to date. In the medium term, companies would do well to consider how they deal with the issue of environmentally friendly logistics. The sooner the course is set in the direction of sustainable rail freight transport, the more future-proof the company will be,” says CEO of the ÖBB, Andreas Matthä, to which RCG belongs.
While Switzerland has long been the global example of how rail should be done, Austria has taken the lead in passenger and freight transport. “The only way we achieve Austria's climate targets is if we shift traffic from road to rail,” adds Andreas Matthä for Railmarket News. And this is not about one big shift but about small steps done persistently. Andreas Matthä adds: “Every ton of freight transported by train makes a difference to the environment. Every ton transported by train is 30 times more climate-friendly than by truck.”
Sidings: essential key to achieving the climate targets
A shining example of shifting from road to rail is a business that will not be exploited or changed over time: the construction industry. From raw to recycled materials, humankind will always build, demolish and rebuild again. The Bernegger company is taking on a pioneering role: This company activated three locations to have a rail connection, and recently, the 4th one has been added in Leobendorf. RCG moves unit trains for Bernegger, but also incorporates groups of Bernegger containerised bulk materials into its wagonload traffic across Austria.
Yet, not every company is as environmentally friendly and willing to invest in new sidings. And even in Austria, the regulatory framework needs a shift. “It should be discussed why every industrial company gets its road connection for free but has to pay for the rail connection. It is unacceptable that the more environmentally damaging truck is better off than the more environmentally friendly railroad,” explains the CEO of ÖBB.
But, where there is a will, there is a way: In the current Austrian infrastructure masterplan 2023-2028 as well as in the upcoming 2024-2029, additional funds are earmarked for constructing and adapting freight loading points. “This way, we can create the necessary infrastructural prerequisites and make the switch to rail even more attractive for future partners. A connection to the rail network should be mandatory for every new industrial and commercial area,” highlights Andreas Matthä.
More sidings extensions and expansions are coming up in Austria
The trajectory is right, it just needs a boost. More and more Austrian companies are joining the trend. In 2023, two more projects of siding reactivation were implemented in the vicinity of the Austrian capital:
Together with the Austrian Armed Forces, the connecting railroad at the Brumowski / Langenlebarn air base has been completely refurbished. And, together with Bau Beton, the connecting railroad at the Freudenau harbour has found its rail connectivity in Vienna.
Another reactivation project in Lower Austria is currently being implemented: the Zöchling company in Hainfeld is in the process of expanding a connecting railroad and putting it back into operation.
Significant extensions of connecting lines are also being planned, such as the connecting line of the Rhomberg and Blum company in Dornbirn (Vorarlberg). Handlos GmbH also plans a new connecting railroad in Summerau (Upper Austria).
