Overnight Express Trains Adopted by DB Cargo for Efficient Service Delivery
Mainz – DB Cargo, the freight division of Deutsche Bahn, is aiming to ascend as the leading railway logistics company across Europe, according to CEO Sigrid Nikutta. "In the future, we aim to become the sole provider that our customers need for the entire logistics chain," she stated in interviews with several newspapers within the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
The transformation would not require companies to have rail connections at their locations. "A significant aspect of our offer will be our express trains," Nikutta revealed. The goal is to directly link major economic centers with overnight transports on short routes, thereby connecting these centers more efficiently.
As a pilot project, rail service has commenced between Hamburg and Cologne. "At night, we collect the goods in Hamburg, and by morning, the wagon arrives in Cologne," Nikutta explained. Customers will be able to quickly arrange transport orders online. By the spring and summer of 2021, up to seven more express connections between major cities are slated, including Hamburg-Berlin, Hamburg-Mannheim, Cologne-Berlin, Cologne-Munich, Mannheim-Munich, Hamburg-Stuttgart, and Bremen-Stuttgart.
"We're constructing a genuine express train network," Nikutta emphasized. With this new offer, an expanded range of consumer goods – such as cosmetics, hygiene products, and furniture – could be transported to retailers by rail. A single train could potentially replace up to 52 trucks, reducing traffic congestion on highways. "Each ton of freight we transport saves 80% of CO2 compared to road transport," she explained.
Nikutta criticized the uneven cost distribution between road and rail freight and emphasized that "there's still a need for catch-up in this regard – not everyone agrees yet. However, the historical window of opportunity for rail is now." She expressed confidence that "manufacturing companies will construct their entire value chain based on sustainability aspects in the future," which would necessitate climate-friendly transport solutions.
Photo: A freight train on railway tracks, courtesy of dts Nachrichtenagentur
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- DB Cargo's express train network, aimed at linking major economic centers, could revolutionize the transportation industry, providing an efficient and climate-friendly solution for the logistics chain, potentially allowing companies to share resources more effectively in areas like environmental-science and technology.
- As more express connections are established between cities, the environmental impact of the logistics industry may decrease significantly, with a single train potentially replacing up to 52 trucks on highways, leading to reduced traffic congestion and a substantial decrease in CO2 emissions, benefiting both the environment and the financial bottom lines of businesses in sectors like science and industry.
- With manufacturing companies increasingly focusing on sustainability aspects, the logistics sector may see a shift towards climate-friendly solutions like DB Cargo's express trains, enabling these companies to share resources more effectively in industries like finance and technology, thus improving their overall environmental footprint.
