SmartRail logistics opens Dresden – Emden corridor

Vehicle parts for the VW factory in Emden are switching from road to rail

Berlin, Brake, 1/6/2018 – from 1 June 2018, forwarding agent L.I.T. Speditions GmbH and rail logistics company Captrain Deutschland GmbH will be supplying vehicle parts to Volkswagen's factory in Emden by rail. To this end, both partners are currently in the process of establishing the joint venture, SmartRail Logistics, which will be based in Berlin. "Through SmartRail Logistics we will be able to offer our customer intermodal and integrated transport solutions, and in doing so, take over management of the entire corridor, from door to door," explains Simeon Breuer, CEO of L.I.T. Speditions GmbH. The goods being sent to the VW factory in Emden from suppliers in the north of the Czech Republic, south of Poland, Saxony and Thuringia, which until now have been transported solely by road, will instead be amassed at Dresden's freight centre. Here, the swap bodies used for transportation will change mode of transport and be taken directly to the factory in Emden by rail. There are expected to be three departures each week. The BR 187 locomotives that are used feature "last mile technology", which allows them to travel along non-electrified lines. In Emden, the swap bodies are absorbed into the factory's existing infrastructure by means of so-called "ContainerMovers", fed into a trailer yard and delivered as and when they are needed. The "ContainerMover" transshipment system from the Swiss company InnovaTrain AG slides the boxes horizontally to move them between the lorry and the rail freight wagon. This allows the containers to be handled without a combined transport terminal. SmartRail Logistics has procured 220 swap bodies and 3 ContainerMovers for the start of the transportation project. "By reducing the number of process participants and interfaces, and by using the latest technology, we are able to offer our customer exceptionally efficient and reliable transport solutions," emphasises Jérôme Méline, CEO of Captrain Deutschland GmbH. "By using a combination of road and rail transportation, we are also helping our customer to meet their sustainability targets." SmartRail Logistics is supporting the VW factory in Emden in its efforts to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions. The newly introduced transport system will mean that around 100 lorry trips per week will now be moved to the railway tracks. The information technology used ensures transparency along the entire supply chain and makes it easier for the vehicle manufacturer to manage its suppliers.