Germany’s DB Cargo faces uncertainty

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Deutsche Bahn’s train freight segment DB Cargo has been losing money for years. Losses have been borne by the parent firm. Eventually, this will stop. France illustrates what may be ahead for DB Cargo. Fret SNCF, the state railway’s goods division, is being dissolved.

One concern is that the EU could ban loss absorption as unlawful state aid. What’s occurring in France is a warning. Fret SNCF, the French state railway SNCF’s goods subsidiary, is liquidating owing to similar issues. SNCF’s competitors will get combined transport contracts.

DB Cargo’s red numbers have two key causes. With little competition, DB Cargo only operates single wagonload transit, which is expensive, because trains must be laboriously assembled and disassembled in marshalling yards like Mannheim. Cost-covering is difficult for this firm.

Block trains from a dock to a power station and combination transit trains with containers are simpler and cheaper. DB Cargo’s competitors want this business because they can deploy their crew more efficiently. At DB Cargo, duty rosters must be structured so train drivers return to their starting station after their shift. In contrast, rivals’ train drivers often go farther and stay away from home. DB Cargo’s market share is dropping, presently around 40%, likely due to this handicap.

The DB Cargo Management Board currently proposes for DB Cargo to simply operate single-wagon transport, outsourcing the rest to subsidiaries of the DB Group, unlike in France. Trade unions oppose this strategy since subsidiaries have different collective labour agreements.

The largest railway workers’ union EVG held a protest rally in Mainz last week, where DB Cargo General Works Council Chairman Jörg Hensel demanded: “The Management Board must go!” The EVG helped Sigrid Nikutta become DB Cargo chair, and is now calling for replacement. However, replacement of the Management Board would not fix DB Cargo’s inherent structural issues, which are now worsened by another reason: the government budget’s removal of subsidies has led to a large increase in track access charges (the rail toll), threatening rail freight transport. This will hurt DB Cargo and other railway firms, and traffic may transfer to roads. This contradicts Germany’s climate goals.

Source(in German):

https://www.rheinpfalz.de/wirtschaft_artikel,-bahn-g%C3%BCterverkehr-db-cargo-in-n%C3%B6ten-_arid,5626031.html

EEA calls for a shift to a more circular Europe

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According to the European Environment Agency (EEA) state of play assessment on the circular economy released on March 21st, decisive action is needed to drastically reduce waste, prioritise resource use reduction, improve recycling rates, and introduce circular products from the start. Despite five years of legislative progress, Europe’s linear, ‘throw-away’ economy must be transformed into a circular one by bold action and robust implementation.

Some key points of the publication are:

• Existing products must be used more intensively and last longer to maximise value and function.
• Waste output is unlikely to decrease by 2030. Although recycling rates have risen, stagnation has set in.
• Big-scale circular economy success depends on returning lots of high-quality secondary raw materials to production.
• Europe cannot stop global unsustainable resource usage, hence a strong global governance framework on resource use and circular economy is needed.

Europe consumes more recycled materials than other regions with 11.5% circularity in 2022. The EU is still far from doubling the EU’s circularity rate by 2030 due to slow progress.

The full 116 page-publication is linked below.

Source: 

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/now-is-the-time-to

https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/accelerating-the-circular-economy

SBB tests remote-controlled locomotives

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Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) successfully tested a remote-controlled locomotive in operation. Currently self-driving trains will not carry passengers. Future remote controls could be employed for tunnel work or short construction site moves.

SBB revealed Wednesday 21st of March that remote control improves construction flexibility. Trains might also move between stabling and the arrival or departure track. This would allow train drivers to board trains with passengers and spend less time shunting in stabling facilities. Workplace accidents like tripping or falling near the track could be thus reduced.

SBB reported that 24 locomotive drivers at a remote-control panel in Zurich Oerlikon conducted the tests in February and March. Zurich Mülligen marshalling yard housed the test locomotive. This was one of the first European testing done during operations, not on a track. The test locomotive reached 30 km/h.

The research added that remote control may not be employed in daily life for some years. Technical systems and European operating practices and laws must first be developed.

French railway business Alstom developed the test system. SBB received test run evaluation assistance from German Aerospace Centre experts.

Source:

https://theswisstimes.ch/rssfeed/sbb-tests-remote-controlled-locomotive-during-operation/