Multimodal Expansion For European Rail Group

AUSTRIA – HUNGARY – News from DB Schenker as the company celebrated the inauguration of truly intermodal services from their €26 million multi modal terminal at Salzburg for which we gave full details in our April article. Local dignitaries and representatives from DB Schenker and the rail company Salzburger Lokalbahn witnessed the official launch with the opening of the 414 metre rail siding which will connect the freight depot to the main Aupoint industrial area and thus to the European rail network.

Karl Nutzinger, Member of the Management Board of Schenker AG responsible for Land Transport commented:

“Now that the siding is connected, our terminal is a fully fledged intermodal hub. We offer customers all rail services whenever rail is appropriate for the customer’s consignments.”

Meanwhile in Hungary with DB Schenker’s acquisition of shares in the Masped-Schenker Kft. and Masped-Railog Kft. joint ventures these companies have merged with Hungarocargo Kft. and Romtrans Hungaria Kft. under the umbrella of the national company Schenker Kft, a deal approved by the country’s anti trust authorities.

This makes Schenker Kft the third largest freight group in the country. All the companies were already important in their own right in the Hungarian freight sector but this reinforces Schenker’s position whilst offering the opportunity to cut costs.

“Our position was already very strong in all of the business units. Now, by merging the structures, we are convinced that this will result in a streamlined organization, simplified processes and thus advantages for our customers,” said Elmar Wieland, Chairman of the Board of Management of Schenker & Co AG, Vienna, responsible for the Region Southeast Europe. The company tie up will become official on the 1st January 2011.