Captrain is bringing agricultural machinery back to the rail

Flexible shuttle trains win over market leader CLAAS

Gütersloh/Berlin, 4/7/2017 – Rail logistics company Captrain Deutschland has convinced the agricultural machinery manufacturer and market leader CLAAS to once again transport its forage harvesters and combine harvester by rail using flexible shuttle trains. Since the beginning of June, Captrain has already run three trains carrying a total of 66 forage harvesters from the CLAAS manufacturing facility in Harsewinkel, Westphalia, to Bremerhaven, where the machines will then be transported overseas by ship. By using BR 187 electric locomotives equipped with last-mile technology, Captrain can transport the agricultural machinery all the way from the CLAAS factory in Harsewinkel to its offloading points. "Captrain provides us with flexible shuttle trains to Bremerhaven. Rather than taking several days, the machines can be transported in just a matter of hours. The quick turnaround times mean that our delivery logistics become significantly more efficient, and we are able to reduce both the number of wagons that are required as well as our costs. In future we hope to discuss the possibility of sending shipments to other destinations with Captrain," states Nils Schuelper, Head of Logistics and Non-Production Materials Procurement at CLAAS KGaA mbH. Captrain undertook extensive preparations prior to transporting the oversized agricultural machinery by rail. Through intensive dialogue with CLAAS, Captrain developed a personalised, future-oriented logistics solution for this exact purpose; one which fully takes into account the complex challenges associated with loading and transporting the combine harvesters and forage harvesters. "We are delighted that through our transport solutions, we are able to contribute to the success of CLAAS and to once again transport agricultural machinery in an environmentally friendly way by moving future shipments by rail," adds Henrik Würdemann, CEO of Captrain Deutschland