Transport News March 2017 by AI Global Media

March 2017

International

Transp rt News

Best in Class Processes - Delivering True Closed-Loop Spend Management

Plus: The Correct Train of Thought - Railtex 2017 / On the Right Track - PALFINGER Tail Lifts GmbH / The Future for WiFi on Trains - BWCS

INTERNATIONAL

Heathrow, Best international Airport UK 2017 Awarded by Air Transports Awards 2017

Welcome to the March 2017 edition of International Transport News, which features key news stories and developments from the industry. A new report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, explores the challenges city leaders face in choosing the right combination of transport solutions to address their short and long-term urban mobility challenges. In other key news, the UK currently leads the world in the market for WiFi on train services according to Ross Parsons from BWCS. By the end of next year, as the UK’s Rail Minister Paul Maynard recently pointed out, “over 90% of UK trains should have access to WiFi.” No other country can come close to this level of penetration - at the moment. I hope you enjoy reading this edition. Jonathan Miles, Editor

Contents... 4. News 8. Best in Class Processes - Delivering True Closed-Loop Spend Management 12. On the Right Track 14. The Future for WiFi on Trains 18. The Correct Train of Thought 20. Stepping up our train solution between China and Europe 22. Eco-friendly container train solution between China and Europe 24. Airport Ground Handling Merger May Give Rise to Competition Concerns 26. More than 37 Million Plug-in Electric Vehicles are Expected 28. Thales Envisions Al Maktoum International Having ‘Metro’ 30. Yamaha Motor Establishes Highly Profitable Structure 32. DHL Express makes global online shopping easier 34. World Wide Technology

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Ongoing Growth in Employment at the Central German Airports The increase in jobs at Leipzig/Halle and Dresden Airports continues unabated. 11,348 people worked for local firms, service providers, public authorities and companies operating within the Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG Group at the two sites on 31 December 2016.

TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

This represents an increase of 6.6% compared to the previous year. The freight handling, aircraft construction and services sectors recorded above-average growth. The Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG companies themselves employed 1,121 people, an increase of 2.7% above the figure for the previous year. The number of employees at Leipzig/Halle Airport increased by 6.5% to a figure of 7,884. Dresden registered growth of 6.8% to a figure of 3,464 employees. “Leipzig/Halle and Dresden Airports are proving to be powerful, long-term job creators for Central Germany. Taking both sites together, there were 72% more people working there last year than in 2007. This dynamic trend, which reached a new record high in 2016, underlines the outstanding importance of the two airports for economic developments in the region,” says Johannes Jähn, Spokesman for the Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG Board, summarising the situation.

Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding is the parent company of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG. The Group has three subsidiaries: Leipzig/Halle Airport, Dresden International Airport and PortGround. Leipzig/Halle Airport handled approx. 2.19 million passengers and about 1.05 million tonnes of air freight in 2016. This makes it Germany’s second-largest cargo airport. The airport is connected to the A 9 and A 14 motorways and has a railway station that is part of the central terminal. This ensures that passenger from Central Germany and beyond can reach the airport directly. Approx. 1.67 million passengers passed through Dresden Airport in 2016. A link to the A 4 motorway and a local railway station ensure that passengers from the catchment areas of Saxony, southern Brandenburg, the north of the Czech Republic and western Poland can arrive at the airport and leave in comfort. PortGround provides ground handling, cargo and other extensive services around the clock at Leipzig/Halle and Dresden Airports.

Focus on City Liveability Drives Approaches for Future Public Transport Projects A new report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, explores the challenges city leaders face in choosing the right combination of transport solutions to address their shortand long-term urban mobility challenges. The Urban Transit Evolution, sponsored by Siemens UK, provides a roadmap for city leaders to transform their cities for the future.

The International Energy Agency expects urban growth demands to double road and rail travel by 2050, causing significant strain on public transport infrastructure. And in cities around the world, including London, rising congestion is costing hundreds of billions and affecting citizens’ health. This is causing concern for city leaders and increasingly puts the sustainability and liveability of cities front and centre, as critical choices are made for future transport projects and policies. Melanie Noronha, editor of the report, says: “Increasing urbanisation demands that urban transport should focus on liveability and innovation taking into account an evolving transport landscape.”

At a time of increasing fiscal constraints, cities can use innovative policies and maintenance projects to improve transport efficiency. Policies - like congestion charging - are generally less expensive and can result in near-immediate effects on traffic flows, as was the case in London. Meanwhile, undertaking maintenance projects to existing systems instead of investments in new infrastructure has proved to be highly effective. Furthermore, cities such as Melbourne and Vienna, which score highly in the EIU’s Global Liveability Ranking, are also ranked highly for infrastructure quality, reinforcing the link between improving sustainability and effective infrastructure planning. Advances in technology has also disrupted the transport sector—from big data, driverless cars and ride-sharing services—and this causes both challenges and opportunities for public transport providers. Ride-sharing apps have changed the urban landscape and are being monitored by transport providers as they seek to meet the demands of future generations, and on-demand transport is being considered to close the first-mile/last-mile gap of public services. Advancements in data collection and analytics are also aiding transport planners, as in the case of Transport for London, which collects both vehicle data and customer data from Oyster travel cards to monitor and plan future transport projects. www.eiuperspectives.economist.com

IATA Welcomes Transport Canada’s New Safety Rules for Drones Montreal - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently welcomed the announcement by Canada’s Minister of Transport, the Honorable Marc Garneau, to implement an Interim Order restricting the use of recreational drones around airports and other high risk areas. The irresponsible or malicious use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near airports and aircraft poses a safety and security risk. According to Transport Canada, there were 85 incidents involving UAVs, also known as drones, in 2015. The number of reported drone incidents more than tripled from 41 when data collection began in 2014, to 148 last year (2016). “The introduction of this temporary order will help protect airspace users and the travelling public. It is particularly important to draw attention to the key role that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and local law enforcement agencies play in addressing the obvious safety risk posed by the reckless operation of UAVs. Looking ahead, advanced technology will provide new ways to appropriately regulate recreational, commercial and State UAV operations. Transport Canada plays a critical role in helping to develop these standards and regulations,” said Rob Eagles, IATA’s Director, Air Traffic Management and Infrastructure. At the 39th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last fall, IATA and industry partners called for the development of standards and definitions to ensure global harmonization of regulations for UAVs and safe and efficient integration of UAVs into existing and new airspace. To assist states in defining and implementing unmanned vehicle regulations IATA, key industry stakeholders and civil aviation authorities worked with ICAO to develop a toolkit to provide states with operational guidance and regulations to enable operations in a safe manner. “In the face of an industry that is moving at an unprecedented pace, a smart approach to regulation and a pragmatic and firm method of enforcement is needed,” said Eagles. IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 265 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic. More information at: www.iata.org www.transportnews-intl.com

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13th International Exhibition of Railway Equipment, Systems & Services #GetOnTrack

Regist for FR er EE at www.r ailtex.c o.uk saving ÂŁ20 the do on or

9th - 11th May 2017

NEC Birmingham UK

Railtex is the all-encompassing showcase for technological innovations across all sectors of the rail supply market. Associated events include project updates, industry briefings and high-profile keynotes. Railtex brings together suppliers and buyers from all sectors of the industry. It will, once again, be the industry networking event of the year.

railtex@mackbrooks.co.uk

www.railtex.co.uk

@railtex

Successful Trial of Voyager on Stockholm to Hamburg Route Telia Carrier announced on 16th March that the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) and Facebook completed a successful trial of 100G and 200G using Voyager gear on its 1,089km Stockholm to Hamburg route, leveraging technology developed by Coriant, a global supplier of SDN-enabled end-toend packet optical networking and DCI solutions. Significantly, this demonstrates that 16QAM signalling works effectively over long distances. To help make the world more open and to connect the unconnected, Facebook has contributed Voyager, the industry´s first “white box” transponder and routing solution that will be made available to those in the Telecom Infra Project (TIP). TIP’s mission of reimagining the traditional approach to building and deploying telecom network infrastructure aligns with Telia Carrier’s “Carrier Declarations,” as the company continues to challenge everything, grow its own network organically and be at the forefront of innovation. “Working with TIP, we’re working on open, disaggregated and scalable ways to deploy network capacity efficiently within diverse and changing environments,” said Hans-Juergen Schmidtke, cochair, TIP Open Optical Packet Transport Project Group, and Director of Engineering, Facebook. “Telia Carrier helped us move closer to our goal by testing Voyager Transponder on their network. We are excited by the results of this trial and look forward to working with the TIP community to further develop Voyager.” “Telia Carrier is committed to innovation, and being a flexible option for content and service providers looking to meet the demands of today and tomorrow. We are proud to partner with Facebook and Coriant, and thank them for a successful trial, as we look to disrupt the normal way of thinking and provide connectivity for all,” said Mattias Fridström, Chief Evangelist, Telia Carrier. “Telia Carrier is a long-time partner of Facebook, having built and managed the multi-terabit

optical network connecting their data center in Sweden to multiple exchange points throughout Europe. Like TIP and Facebook, we stand for openness and transparency for everyone looking to connect to the wider world around them.” Larger and more agile networks are needed to stay ahead of the oncoming tide of virtual reality (VR), streaming video, gaming and other bandwidth intensive applications. To assist other telecom infrastructure companies in providing access to the worldwide web, Telia Company, the parent company of Telia Carrier and TIP partner, supported Telia Carrier in conducting the test of the Voyager solution and shared the results with other member companies. The test, carried out in early March, shows that decoupled Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) transponder systems are a low cost, low power option, with sufficient flexibility and accessibility for service providers to leverage within their existing networks. Telia Carrier, with TIP, Facebook and Coriant are all working together to reach the goal of disaggregating the hardware and software components of the network stack to unleash the full power of connectivity, for everyone. “Coriant remains committed to open networks, and the Telecom Infra Project is playing a critical role in driving industry progress on this front,” said J.C. Fahmy, Vice President of Product Management and Business Development, Data Center Solutions, Coriant. “The emergence of packet switching/routing white boxes like Voyager opens up the potential for more open, more programmable, and more cost-disruptive network architectures, and we are excited to be teaming with TIP to extend our LightIP networking software to Voyager.” Telia Carrier’s global fiber backbone has grown organically, without acquisitions, and is the first to be 100G-enabled in both Europe and North America. It is also the first network to successfully transmit 1 Tb/s on its US network. According to Dyn Research’s global backbone rankings, AS1299, Telia Carrier’s global IP backbone, is currently ranked top-two. Telia Carrier’s rapid growth and ascension through the rankings was highlighted in Dyn’s ‘Baker’s Dozen’ report. The company enables worldwide connectivity by connecting more than 220 Points of Presence (PoPs) across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East including over 70 PoPs in North America alone.

Budget 2017: An Opportunity Missed Bus Users has welcomed measures in this year’s UK Budget to address growing congestion in urban areas but warned more needs to be done to encourage a modal shift from private to public transport. Norman Baker, Chair of Bus Users said: “The most effective way to tackle congestion is to get people out of their cars and on to buses. This can only be done by investing in services, adopting priority measures for buses in town and city centres, and subsidising bus travel, particularly for young people. “Given the vital contribution buses make to reducing congestion and pollution, addressing social isolation, boosting local economies and improving access to health, education and employment, this Budget has been a missed opportunity.” Bus Users is an independent, non-profit group which champions the interests of bus and coach users and campaigns for better bus and coach services. They have the ear of all the major bus companies and a lot of the smaller ones too, of their trade organisation and of the Government and local authorities. They operate a complaints appeals service for bus users who are dissatisfied with the response they have had from bus companies, and they run events for bus users to meet their local bus company management and local authority staff. They act as a support organisation for local bus users groups. www.bususers.org

www.transportnews-intl.com

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Best in Class Processes - Delivering True Closed-Loop Spend Management If your company makes a product from parts purchased from suppliers and those products are sold to customers, then you have a supply chain. Some supply chains are simple, while others are more complex. Companies of all shapes and sizes, regional or global face similar challenges, with their supply chains; transportation cost continuing to rise across all modes and services levels.

Manufactures and distributors spend billions on transportation movements across global regions, utilizing different modes of transport and multiple service levels. In addition, numerous transportation providers are used, invoices are billed in multiple currencies and supply chain data may be contained in disparate systems. A recent industry study on real-time visibility found 97% of supply chain executives citing visibility as crucial to their businesses. Unfortunately, many of the surveyed companies are limiting their logistics visibility by relying on manual processes for information exchange among supply chain participants; global rate cards (pricing), freight invoices, shipment tendering and shipment status updates. Multiple departments are often involved in procurement and payment of transportation services, working through manual processes with a significant amount of redundancies. Managing spreadsheets for bid processes, rate tables and contract management; trying to maintain visibility to applicable accessorial charges, service requirements and expiration dates. Freight invoices are not audited, or an audit would be superficial and incomplete. If a thorough audit process is employed it is often a manual process and very labor intense. Information from the audit process is difficult to analyze and use in contract negotiations. Implementing an automated procurement, freight audit and payment process will allow flexibility and improved responsiveness while creating a true closed-loop spend management process that delivers more than just reduced freight spend. There are three typical methods employed to audit freight invoices. The post audit method which is performed after invoices are paid and a company hopes they are successful recovering the thousands if not millions of dollars

TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

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that have been overpaid. Another method is the pre-audit and payment method, this process allows for the auditing of the invoice and any dispute resolution before invoices are approved for payment. Another method growing in popularity is self-invoicing. This method is not a good fit for all companies or all transportation providers however it is a viable solution for many. It’s perhaps best to begin with a definition of the self-invoicing concept to better define the solution and its benefits for global Enterprise stakeholders. In its simplest form, Self-Invoicing is a closed loop system wherein a consumer of freight services [typically a shipper of goods] seeks to gain greater control and reliability of the invoicing cycle by utilizing their existing rate structures with their transportation providers to rate shipments that have been created in either a proprietary TMS platform or through shipment data held within their ERP system. This is accomplished by rating that stored shipment information against the contractual rates on file. Typically, this process also includes the capability to validate client specific business rules, and the ability to provide visibility to transportation providers to address discrepancies ‘on-the-fly’ via a web-based portal. In principle, once this cycle of finalizing any disputes open on the invoice has been completed, the final invoice is presented to the supplier and to the shipper, and payment is executed based on the mutual agreement of the final total payment to be made based on the negotiated rate structures. Implementing procurement and tendering solutions combined with pre-audit or self-invoicing or a combined pre-audit and self-invoicing solution offers best in class solutions with rapid implementation through a combination of freight settlement systems deployed through on demand Software as a Service. These solutions reduce a potential customers’ IT resource requirements. The majority of the implementation and maintenance is managed by the software vendor. nVision Global’s iMpact TMS starts with a robust Global Transportation Contract Management tool which is a vital gear in the overall closed loop logistics procurement process. This critical engine connects your Supply Chain stakeholders with the ability to perform on-demand rate shopping queries based on service requirements to determine the leastcost transportation provider for a given lane or individual shipment activity. The tool is also the foundation for procurement activity and provides rate information for the iProcurement module utilized for tenders (RFP’s) of all types (modes, services etc.) individual shipments or lane activity.

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nVision Global’s iMpact TMS Operational Control Tower is command central, for its responsive decision making Supply Chain Solution. While many feel Business Intelligence (BI) offers good insight and direction; it does not provide the technology capabilities necessary to make informed decisions in a real-time environment. Business Intelligence tools can be used to determine performance after the fact, such as “on-time delivery performance.” The same can be said for solutions designed with simple warning / alert notifications; to whom, about what and when a “Control Tower” must provide the individual users with the ability to dynamically action (decision making) on the information provided. A “Control Tower” must provide the individual users with the ability to dynamically act (decision making) on the information provided. The iMpact TMS Operational Control Tower provides actionable functionality for transportation provider contract management, shipment creation, cost and service requirement routing, auction (controlled environment), excessive value or expedited cost approval processes, shipment optimization, tendering and execution, purchase order validation and routing, vendor chargebacks, real time visibility, service failure alerts, mode and lane specific rate request (RFQ, RFP, Tendering). A powerful end to end solution that is adapted and integrated to the customer’s environment, designed for inbound purchase order and outbound sales orders activity. About nVision Global: Since its inception, nVision Global has evolved from a regional Freight Payment company to one of the fastest growing Global Freight Audit, Payment and Logistics Management service providers in the industry. nVision Global boasts facilities on four continents, superior technology, quality services and comprehensive business intelligence applications second to none. As we partner with our customers, we are committed to listening and dynamically customizing our processes to support each of their unique business requirements. Our commitment is to provide each customer with responsiveness that is unparalleled in the industry. We are dedicated to this philosophy because we understand that a successful relationship depends on the delivery of state of the art technology, quality focus, flexible processes, unparalleled service and global real-time visibility to operational business intelligence. Find us online at: www.nVisionGlobal.com

www.transportnews-intl.com

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On the Right Track PALFINGER Tail Lifts is one of the leading manufacturers of on-board access systems (ramps and lifts) in trains, trams and buses for persons with reduced mobility (PRM). We profile the firm and explore the range of solutions it provides and how these support clients to travel in safety and comfort. Founded in 1963 and part of the PALFINGER AG since 2007, PALFINGER Tail Lifts is based in the north of Germany and is one of the leading manufacturers for tail lifts for trucks. The business unit for passenger systems started in 1988 with the development and production of a tail lift for a NEOPLAN coach. Today, PALFINGER has come to stand for the most innovative, reliable and cost-effective lifting solutions, supporting users around the world. With their technological expertise and dedicated staff, they set quality benchmarks in the industries in which they operate. Buses, trams and trains around the world are equipped and retrofitted with MEDIRAMPS and TRAINLIFTS for wheelchair users in the regional and main line services. PALFINGER Tail Lifts offers suitable solutions combined with high safety equipment for people with reduced mobility. The TRAINLIFT, MEDILIFT and MEDIRAMP help to remove barriers. Different models of the TRAINLIFT for wheelchair users can be adapted to the new generation of railway vehicles as well as for refitting to an existing fleet. Whereas in the past wheelchair user has to use the unpopular platform-based equipment to enter the train, nowadays they can access via the TRAINLIFT which is held inside the vehicle, making it more comfortable and less time consuming. Of course, all TRAINLIFT models meet the requirements of the European norm TSI PRM for example in respect to the size of the platform, capacity and safety. For high speed trains as well as for regional trains Palfinger develops the corresponding lifts, called TRAINLIFT. The lifting height from vehicle floor to the platform can be up to 1200 mm and the wheelchair user can be boarded easily by the conductor or train staff. The swivel lifts are particularly used in high speed trains such as Velaro D, Eurostar, Zefiro or ICx while the vertical lifts are more suitable for regional trains.

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The MEDILIFT is because of its low gradient very convenient for wheelchair users when using low floor trams or low floor buses. It works fully automatically and is nearly everywhere applicable independent of the height level of the stop. The current project is the Avenio TZ for Munich. All trams in Munich offer a MEDILIFT so that the wheelchair user can enter independently without any help. The manual and electric ramps of the brand MEDIRAMP are installed in low floor buses and in low floor trams. The new cassette ramp CR 1100 is installed under the vehicle floor either for new vehicles - or as a retrofittable solution. If manual ramps are required, PALFINGER Tail Lifts offer the manually extendable ramp M1200 and the foldable MEDIRAMP MR 950. For the installation in the vehicle floor, for vehicles with low ground clearance, the electrical ramp FV (Floor version) completes the program. The product portfolio for passenger systems is also including cassette lifts and twin pillar lifts with a lifting height of 1000mm which are installed in smaller vans or buses. Currently, PALFINGER produce the so-called ‘swivel lifts’, such as the TRAINLIFT TR 800, for the SIEMENS ICx, as this is the next generation high speed train for the German national railway company, Deutsche Bahn. Another innovative product the firm offers is the TRB 1000 with a stroke of one meter for the Zefiro of ANSALDO BREDA in Italy. This can be adapted to the needs of the client; for example, SKODA needed a TRB 600, with a lifting height of 600mm, for their double-deck train and the consortium STADLER/NEWAG required the TRAINLIFT TR 1000 for the Polish railway company PKP. These products were provided to meet the specific needs of the client, highlighting the firm’s versatility.

New in the portfolio is the vertical MBB TRAINLIFT TRV 1000 - which was presented on the leading international trade fair for transport technology – the InnoTrans 2016 in Berlin. The TRV 1000 is the right solution particularly for the installation on regional trains. When it comes to retrofitting existing coaches with access systems, PALFINGER offers with 25 years of experiences in developing suitable TRAINLIFT models for nearly every vehicle. Their latest project, which is currently in production, is the redesign of the regional train VT 612 with a set of TRAINLIFT TR 1000 which are embedded in a multi-part cabinet. The modernised and redesigned VT612 will soon travel through the Bavarian ‘Allgäu’ region, offering easy access to all wheelchair users along the way. Overall, PALFINGER is a reliable partner for all well-known vehicle manufacturers in the bus and train/ tram segment. More than 1500 TRAINLIFTS had been delivered to customers like Siemens, Bombardier, Alstom, Stadler, Skoda, Newag, MWM and Ansaldo Breda. Since the start of the production of MEDIRAMPS in 1993, the firm has delivered more than 10.000 ramps to manufacturers such as Evobus, Solaris and MAN. Ultimately, it is the firm’s well-educated staff, manufacturing know-how and more than 25 years of experiences in the railway industry that enables it to offer their clients high quality products, and moving forward the firm will be looking to build upon this success and continue to provide the most innovative solutions on the market.

Name: Marion Wendelken Sales Manager Passenger Systems Email: m.wendelken@palfinger.com Web Address: www.palfinger.com Address: PALFINGER Tail Lifts GmbH FockestraĂ&#x;e 53; D-27777 Ganderkesee Telephone: +49 (0) 4221 853 261

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The Future for WiFi on Trains The UK currently leads the world in the market for WiFi on train services. By the end of next year, as Rail Minister Paul Maynard recently pointed out, “over 90% of UK trains should have access to WiFi.” No other country can come close to this level of penetration - at the moment. To those who regularly berate trains in Britain for being over-priced, over-crowded and overly un-reliable, it may come as a surprise that they do so well in at least one sector. The simple fact is that passengers love WiFi (when it works). No other amenity can produce such purrs of contentment or gasps of surprise from travellers than the discovery that they can connect, reliably and for free to the on-board WiFi. Twitter quotes from train WiFi users … “There’s WiFi on my train what a time to be alive …” “Whoever said life’s about the journey not the destination must have been on a via rail train - free WiFi and long naps what could be better?! “ “Aye I’m sitting in a warm train on my way to Dreamhack, working on my laptop, having WiFi while seeing snowscapes around me. Life is great!” The UK’s pre-eminence in the WiFi world is no coincidence, for the past few years the Department for Transport has backed the provision of on-train WiFi, with cash and encouragement. Indeed the DfT is overseeing a fighting fund of £50 million which it is using to assist some operators to bring their un-WiFi-ed trains into the fold. The latest franchise owner to fall into line is Southeastern Trains, which announced in January 2017 that it will roll out on-board passenger internet services on its 367 commuter trains into London. However, merely providing an on-board WiFi service is only half the battle. Commuters and long-distance travellers alike seem to enter a new level of Hell if the promised on-board connectivity is slow, weak or unavailable. Indeed,

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this appears to be worse than not having a connection at all. Twitter quotes from train WiFi users … “Literally paid to use the WiFi on the train and I’m sure they had better in the f*&%ing Stone Age …” “WiFi on train from Manchester is rubbish. Better off doing smoke signals.” “No WiFi on the train! Why why why!” The question now for the train companies is: having shown their passengers a glimpse of the Promised Land of on-train Internet access, can they lead them over the hill to a world of uninterrupted services that are both fast and free? These days, most on-train WiFi systems around the world rely on cellular connections for the train-to-shore link, which makes collaboration with mobile network operators seem an obvious place to start in the search for on-train Nirvana. The problem here is of course, that rail routes have an awkward habit of running across large swathes of un-populated moorland or, equally difficult, to plunge into tunnels, cuttings and densely populated urban sprawls where trains compete with the general population for cellular bandwidth. With MNOs generally unwilling to change their investment strategies to increase their base station to track ratio, the rail sector has had to be more creative. “We are seeing now is technology suppliers, train companies and even some mobile operators, starting to collaborate over pioneering solutions to this problem.” Reports Graham Wilde, the perennial chairman of BWCS’s WiFi on Trains Conference. “we are seeing some really innovative ideas in this sector and this is surely the way forward.”

Company: BWCS Name: Ross.Parsons Email: Ross.Parsons@BWCS.com Web Address: www.bwcs.com Address: 6 Worcester Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1PL Telephone: +44 (0) 1531 634 326

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Wilde maintains that “Suppliers such as Icomera, Nomad and 21Net have lead the way in boosting performance and adding media servers to trains to increase the content on offer without lowering connection speeds.” But will this be enough? Other companies are looking at the problem of getting more reliable broadband onto trains from a different perspective. Some of the more left-field suggestions include using a fleet of drones to follow trains across mobile ‘not-spots’ and beam high-speed wireless to them. One university is known to be working on a scheme to utilise the over-head electricity supply cable to directly connect trains to the Internet. Meanwhile, satellite delivered broadband is making something of a come-back as greater availability and technical changes mean that more data can be supplied form the skies at less cost. One of the most innovative, but also, potentially, the most expensive, solutions, is being tested by US train operator Amtrak. Facing strong competition from WiFi-ed up planes ploughing its premium routes in the North East of America and under pressure from passengers to boost download speeds and plug connectivity gaps, the partially stateowned transport company is fighting back. It is currently trialling a purpose-built trackside wireless broadband network. This, it argues, could deliver faster and more reliable wireless signals to the on-board hotspots, removing the company’s reliance on patchy cellular coverage. If the results of Amtrak’s experiment on a 10-mile stretch of track south of Wilmington, Delaware prove acceptable, the company will press ahead with a whole new, fully-owned, rail-side solution. It recently announced that it could expand the area covered by the wayside network to around 110 additional miles by the end of this year. It appears likely that the system will eventually be rolled out between Washington DC, New York and Boston, though it is not clear how long this might take, nor how much it will cost and with the recent changes in the US whether it will receive funding at all. Many in the industry believe that in the longterm, such private networks for the exclusive use of the rail operator, dedicated to passenger WiFi, infotainment and operational monitoring will be an attractive proposition. Yet, such a solution will not be cheap, the estimated cost of building out a network along the routes covered by Acela trains runs into tens of millions of dollars. This would be far more if fibre had to be installed too (Amtrak like many European train companies has a wayside fibre-optic cable network in place).

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Mobile network operators have been making promising noises about this for some time. Chiltern Railways and Icomera recently signed a deal with UK mobile network operator EE to boost on-board WiFi and mobile coverage. The Arriva-owned train company said it hopes to eliminate mobile black spots where connectivity drops off. EE will do this through a mixture of adding new base stations and building some trackside masts. Arguably, EE has lead the way in the UK at least, by announcing it will spend some of its proposed £1.5 billion investment in 4G roll out on covering some of Britain’s busiest rail routes (London – Birmingham and London Brighton). It remains to be seen if other mobile companies will follow this lead, or even if EE’s investment will be enough to help keep passengers happy. For now, the Promised Land is still some way off for train travellers struggling to stay on-line. The expanding market for on-board WiFi services as well as the problems of intermittent mobile coverage, proposed trackside solutions and other such issues facing the UK and the rest of the World will all be covered in this year’s WiFi on Trains Conference hosted by BWCS. For more information please see www.Traincomms2017.com or contact Ross. Parsons@BWCS.com

“We are seeing now is technology suppliers, train companies and even some mobile operators, starting to collaborate over pioneering solutions to this problem.” Reports Graham Wilde, the perennial chairman of BWCS’s WiFi on Trains Conference. “we are seeing some really innovative ideas in this sector and this is surely the way forward.”

www.transportnews-intl.com

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The Correct Train of Thought Railtex is the UK’s leading exhibition of railway technology, products and services, typically attracting some 450 exhibitors and visited by well over 7,000 industry professionals, including many from abroad. Railtex covers all sectors of the railway supply industry, embracing rolling stock manufacturing, fixed assets such as track, signalling and electrification, and the vast range of specialised products and services needed to guarantee safe and efficient delivery and operation of main line and urban networks. As well as providing a unique railway technology showcase in the UK, Railtex includes a supporting programme comprising keynote speeches from industry leaders, major project and programme updates, technical seminars and discussion groups. Intended to provide insights in trends into policy and technology, these are all open to visitors free of charge. The show takes place every two years: this year’s event will be at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 9 to 11 May. Railtex is organised by Mack Brooks Exhibitions, based in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The company is active internationally, running

trade shows for many industry sectors, and has branch offices in several other countries. The first Railtex took place in 1993. This year’s show will be the thirteenth in a successful series. Railtex is unique as the only regular trade show covering the entire railway supply industry. Its successful format of providing faceto-face contact in a professional but relaxed environment, its ability to show and explain new products and innovations, and the opportunities it gives newcomers to the market to raise awareness of their capabilities – these all set Railtex apart from other forms of business communication. Our exhibition programme also includes Infrarail, focusing specifically on rail infrastructure equipment, products and services. As well as track, signalling and electrification, this covers railway civil engineering, communications systems, station equipment and much

more. Infrarail exhibitions alternate with Railtex. The next event will be at ExCeL London from 1 to 3 May 2018. In addition, I would like to add that as a service business, the skills and efforts of our staff are central to our success. Organising an event like Railtex is a complex process that calls for many different disciplines. We are fortunate in having key members of staff who have been involved in this exhibition and others for long enough to have accumulated great experience. Their efforts are also supported by great company leadership. Right on track The fact that Railtex exhibitions have been eagerly awaited events in the rail industry’s calendar for the last 25 years is testimony to their success. Surveys reveal that the show achieves high satisfaction levels among exhibitors in areas such as the quality and number of visitors and whether they achieved their aims by taking part. Railtex also benefits from regular support from key industry bodies like Network Rail, the Railway Industry Association, the Rail Alliance, the Rail Delivery Group and the Rail Supply Group – among many others. In terms of our clients, they are primarily exhibiting companies who take stands at Railtex. And although entry to the exhibition is free for those who register to attend in advance, we also view visitors as clients. Our aim is to ensure that all exhibitors and visitors have a productive and enjoyable experience at the show. Plans for the future We will continue to work to ensure that Railtex meets the aspirations of the companies that take part in it. The same applies to Infrarail, and to the two-rail technology shows we organise in continental Europe – SIFER in France (21 to 23 March 2017 in Lille) and EXPO Ferroviaria in Italy (3 to 5 October in Milan).

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Company: Railtex 2017 Name: Kirsten Whitehouse, Exhibition Manager Email: railtex@mackbrooks.co.uk Web Address: www.railtex.co.uk, www.mackbrooks.com Address: Mack Brooks Exhibitions, Romeland House, Romeland Hill, St Albans AL3 4ET, UK Telephone: 01727 814400

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Stepping up our train solution between China and Europe We have been offering our container train solution between China and Europe since 2014 when it was first established. Over the past few years, the market demand for fast, efficient, and sustainable transport alternatives has increased, and we are now stepping up our game. As one step towards further developing our train solution, we have appointed Johan Ignell as Rail Freight Manager at Greencarrier Freight Services.

An increasing demand for an alternative to air freight and sea freight Last year, we handled about 25 000 cubic metres of goods at Greencarrier Freight Services using our container train solution between China and Europe. Johan Ignell, who is one of the original initiators of developing our train solution, is now taking on the challenge as Rail Freight Manager at Greencarrier Freight Services. He has previously worked as Trade Lane Manager with focus on the Far East, and has extensive knowledge and experience of the Chinese market, working in our Shanghai office.

Johan sees a clear increase in demand for fast, efficient, and sustainable transport alternatives between China and Europe. “There is an increasing demand on the market of transport solutions that are not as costly as air freight and don’t have as long lead-times as sea freight”, he says. “Right now, due to the current strike situation in the Port of Gothenburg in Sweden, we are also seeing an increasing demand from exporters in Sweden to transport their goods by rail to China. As a general trend, many customers are looking into innovative and sustainable transport solutions that reduce their environmental impact.” A fast, efficient and sustainable container train solution When transporting goods by train, it is possible to cut lead times in half compared to sea freight, from approximately 40 days to 20 days. At the same time, you can also minimise costs by 50 percent compared to air freight, not to mention the environmental benefits. Our container train solution is fast, efficient, and sustainable and includes both FCL (Full Container Load and LCL (Less than Container Load) services for import as well as export to and from China. The goods are handled from our hub in Shanghai and transported southbound to Warsaw in Poland. When the containers arrive in Warsaw, the goods are stored in our warehouse in Karpin and distributed by road to the end destination. Our warehouse in Karpin is also used for groupage and stuffing of containers with goods going eastbound.

TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

Company: Greencarrier Freight Services Web Address: freightservices.greencarrier.com Address: Torgny Segerstedtsgatan 80 P.O Box 1037, SE-405 22 Gothenburg Telephone: +46 31857938

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Eco-friendly container train solution between China and Europe More customers are looking for greener transport solutions – but without having to compromise on lead time and cost. As a logistics and transport company we are continuously trying to find ways to minimise the environmental impact of our transports. Based on our customers needs Greencarrier Freight Services has developed an eco-friendly container train solution – just in line with the Greencarrier Spirit.

Exporting goods from China to Europe in an eco-friendly, fast and cost efficient way For more than a decade China has been increasingly dominant as the world’s largest producer of manufactured goods, and will most likely continue to be the most important exporting country for many years to come. Many of our customers in Northern Europe who import from China request greener transport solutions. Chinese companies are also working hard to lower the pollution of their transports. At the same time they face many challenges. One of them is the long transit time for transportation between China and the Nordic countries, making them less competitive for the European market. Trying to find the best solution due to both environment and time, as well as cost, is an ever changing but always challenging task. At Greencarrier taking responsibility for the environment is a big part of how we work and of the Greencarrier Spirit. Rail-based transport compared to air freight and sea freight – pros and cons There are several ways of approaching the problem, and different transport modes to choose from. The fastest solution, no doubt, would be to use air freight to transport the goods from China to Europe. However, this transport mode is the least eco-friendly and the most expensive. Another option would be to use sea freight, which is cheaper and more eco-friendly. But the lead times are three to four times longer! A third alternative is a combination of ocean transport and air freight. The Railway solution should be seen as an alternative to the more traditional transport modes because it is a much better choice from an environmental point of view compared with air freight and the combination of sea and air freight. In addition, the lead times are much shorter than ocean freight, and the cost is lower than air freight. Transport by rail – a highly reliable transport solution TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

Comparing a rail based transport solution to pure ocean freight and combined sea and air freight, there is also the reliability factor to consider. Today, port infrastructures are very strained. Many ports are ill equipped and large investments are made in port infrastructure to handle the continuously growing container vessels. It has lead to congestion and delays at a number of major ports, especially in Europe. Ocean transports from China to Northern Europe usually takes about 40 to 50 days, and the goods are often re-loaded to smaller feeder vessels in the major European Ports. The long transit time by ocean also increases the risk of sudden delays caused by bad weather conditions or congestion. Delayed transports can have serious cost effects for many customers. A rail-based transport solution is a good option in terms of reliability. This is in particularly true for our container train solution. The transports are handled very smoothly through intermodal door-to-door solutions. With fewer steps, shorter distance and shorter transit time, potential problems are consequently limited to this time frame. The risk of delays is considerably minimised. Container train solution between China and Europe starting in Suzhou, Shanghai The starting point for our container train solution is well located in the Northern part of Suzhou New District. It is crossed by many highways such as China National Highway 312, Suzhou External Ring Road, Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway and Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway. Suzhou is located close to the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, the Beijing-Shanghai Railway and Pudong International Airport. It is located in the centre of sea, air and railway transportation. Train route from Suzhou via Manzhouli to Warsaw The train route between Suzhou and Warsaw starts from our hub at the West Railway Freight Station in Suzhou and goes via the border crossing in Manzhouli and continues into Russia and Belarus, and finally arrives at Warsaw in Poland.

An intermodal solution with weekly departures and only 14 days transit time From our hub in Suzhou we are offering weekly departures, both full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL), to Warsaw with only 14 days transit time. The container types used for the train transports are 20’DV, 40’DV and 40’HQ. The goods are collected by truck at the terminal in Warsaw and transported to the final destinations in Europe and this is handled by our own Greencarrier office in Warsaw. Our extended road network covers all Northern Europe and makes the on-carriage fast and reliable. The trains are equipped with GPS devices and we can provide our customers with daily information of the container position. Exactly how eco-friendly is this container train solution? The major environmental advantage of rail is the reduction of exhaust emissions. Our entire railway route is electrified and mainly supplied by hydroelectric power plants. Comparing the transit times and CO2 emissions of different transport modes for the distance between Suzhou and Warsaw, it is clear that our container train solution is a great option • • • •

Air freight takes 2 days and consumes 139 ton CO2 Ocean freight takes 40 days and consumes 2.1 ton CO2 Combined sea and air freight takes 22 days and consumes 77 ton CO2 Rail takes 14 days and consumes 5 ton CO2

With this rail setup in our product portfolio we cannot only offer a greener transport solution, we are also more reliable, flexible and a stronger logistics provider to all our customers. If you would like to cooperate with us to minimise the environmental impact of your transport needs, let us know. We are happy to guide you to the best solution for your company.

Company: Greencarrier Freight Services Web Address: freightservices.greencarrier.com Address: Torgny Segerstedtsgatan 80 P.O Box 1037, SE-405 22 Gothenburg Telephone: +46 31857938

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Airport Ground Handling Merger May Give Rise to Competition Concerns The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that the merger may lead to a substantial lessening of competition (SLC) in the supply of ground handling services at Aberdeen Airport (including baggage, ramp, passenger, airside cargo handling and de-icing). Menzies and ASIG are close competitors at Aberdeen Airport and, following the merger, only Swissport will remain as a credible bidder for airlines located there. In contrast, at the other airports where both Menzies and ASIG are active (Manchester and London Heathrow), the CMA found that there would be a number of credible competitors that could bid for future contracts. Menzies Aviation plc and Menzies Aviation Inc. (Menzies) agreed to acquire ASIG Holdings Limited and ASIG Holdings Corp. (ASIG) from BBA Holdings Limited and BBA Aviation USA Inc. Both Menzies and ASIG provide a range of services to airlines at UK and international airports.

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Menzies can avoid the merger being referred for an in-depth investigation if it can offer a remedy to address the CMA’s competition concerns at Aberdeen Airport. Menzies has until 22 December 2016 to do so. Kate Collyer, the CMA decision-maker in this case, said: “It is important that we ensure that airlines transporting passengers to and from Aberdeen Airport are protected against any reduced service quality or increased costs as a result of this merger. We hope that Menzies will respond to our competition concerns and ensure that effective competition between ground handling service providers at Aberdeen Airport is restored.”

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More than 37 Million Plug-in Electric Vehicles are Expected A new report from Navigant Research provides forecasts, market sizing, and market share analysis for the overall light duty vehicle (LDV) market and for light duty hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs), and battery EVs (BEVs).

The market for LDVs is poised for change due to advances in battery energy density and cost, as well as coming innovations in connected and autonomous vehicle systems. Around 2025, fundamental technology and industry trends are expected to enable BEVs to be cost competitive against conventional vehicles without subsides, underlining the likelihood that LDVs will eventually be electric rather than any other alternative. Click to tweet: According to a new report from @NavigantRSRCH, by 2025, more than 68 million light duty HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs are expected to be in use globally, with over half being plug-in vehicles.

“Battery cost reductions are having dramatic impacts on BEV cost and range, portending significant market growth in the years ahead,” says Scott Shepard, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. “Further battery innovations alongside vehicle automation promise to significantly disrupt the nature and business of transportation, although this process will take decades to come to full fruition.” According to the report, long-range BEVs appear positioned for success as prices become competitive with economy brands after subsidies. This marks a milestone that could move BEVs from niche to mainstream, especially as the over 400,000 preorders of Tesla’s Model 3 indicate that the affordable 200-plus mile BEV could have a big impact on the vehicle market. The report, Market Data: Electric Vehicle Market Forecasts, provides forecasts, market sizing, and market share analysis for the overall LDV market and light duty hybrid EVs (HEVs), plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs), and BEVs. Global forecasts for annual LDV sales and vehicles in use are driven by scenario forecasts on battery prices, oil prices, and autonomous mobility system (AMS) penetration within the LDV fleet. Forecasts are provided by segment under conservative scenario conditions, aggressive scenario conditions, and the average result of 24 scenario combination conditions. Core model scenario forecasts are also provided alongside HEV, PHEV, and BEV sensitivities to each major scenario forecast condition. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website

TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

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Thales Envisions Al Maktoum International Having ‘Metro’ The French transport services supplier Thales says it will bid on Dubai Metro’s Green Line when it is tendered, whilst keeping an eye on developments at Al Maktoum International.

Thales also expects the automated people-mover system at the new airport to be closer to a fully-fledged metro line due to the volume of passengers expected in the next decade, according to Marc Duflot, vice-president - business development for Ground Transportation Systems. Speaking in an interview at the Middle East Rail event on Tuesday, Duflot said: “It’s going to be such a big transit system that it’ll likely be more of a metro than a people mover, with 240 million passengers eventually travelling through the airport, all needing to be transported around.” Thales’ vice-president - sales for Ground Transportation Systems, Denis Laroche, added that the company would be in a “stronger position to win the work if it did turn out to be a metro rather than a people-mover,” as the former is Thales’ forte. By 2022, Al Maktoum International will have a new terminal, two new concourses, and

three runways in operation. At that point, the new airport will have capacity for 135 million passengers, growing to 240 million after that. Duflot confirmed that Thales was in talks with the Dubai government about Al Maktoum International. “We are already looking at how to partner on this project, and we’re already in early discussions with the Dubai authorities about this,” he said. The French firm has previously worked on people-movers at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and at Washington Dulles International Airport, amongst other locations. In Dubai, Thales provided fully automated train control systems on both the Green and the Red lines of the metro, in addition to access gates and ticket vending machines. Currently working on the 15-kilometre extension of the Dubai Metro Red line from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station to the Expo 2020 site, Duflot told Gulf News that the company also intends to participate in the Green Line extension. “We will bid on the extension of the Green Line. It will be a very important project for us in the next two or three years, but not as critical in terms of time as the Red line,” he said. “In terms of the Red line, for our part we have to deliver the signalling by 2019, and we are on track to finish by then.” Regarding the on-hold UAE megaproject to connect the emirates, Duflot remarked that “Etihad Rail will be done one day. The uncertainty is when. We are hearing different rumours that it will start this year, or next year. I am sure they will do it, because they need it, it’s just a matter of when.

TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

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Yamaha Motor Establishes Highly Profitable Structure Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announced today that in its fiscal 2016 year, which finished on December 31, net income increased 5.2 percent to 63.2 billion yen thanks to business expansion in emerging markets and improved profitability in various business sectors. Net sales decreased 7.9 percent to 1,502.8 billion yen and ordinary income fell 18.5 percent to 102.1 billion yen. In motorcycles, unit sales and operating income were strong in emerging markets such as India, Vietnam and the Philippines, thanks to increased sales of higher-priced products and cost reductions. Global net sales decreased due to foreign exchange effects. In developed markets, continued progress was achieved with initiatives to reduce inventories, improve financial positions and carry out structural reforms. In the marine sector, outboard motor unit sales increased, particularly large models in North America and Europe. Sales and income

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overall decreased due to foreign exchange effects, but profitability remained high and the operating income ratio was at 19 percent. Initiatives to establish a system-supplier business model achieved progress. In the new fiscal year, markets and business conditions are forecast to progress as before generally. Yamaha Motor expects to grow income and profits, assuming that foreign exchange rates do not change significantly. The company forecasts fiscal 2017 net sales rising 6.5 percent to 1,600.0 billion yen and net income climbing 18.8 percent to 75.0 billion yen. Operating income and ordinary income are expected to increase 10.5 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively.

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DHL Express makes global online shopping easier DHL Express, the world’s leading international express services provider, today announced the launch of On Demand Delivery, a new service that allows shippers and receivers globally to select from a range of standardized delivery options. With On Demand Delivery, shippers can choose to activate specific delivery options and have DHL Express proactively notify their customers via email or SMS about a shipment’s progress. Customers can then select the delivery option that best suits their requirements via the On Demand Delivery website. The service is specifically tailored to the demands of international e-commerce deliveries, where the majority of shipments are addressed to residential addresses and customers place considerable emphasis on flexibility and convenience. “We have seen the share of e-commerce deliveries grow from about 10% in 2013 to more than 20% of the international volumes of DHL Express in 2016,” said John Pearson, CEO Europe and Global Head of Commercial, DHL Express Europe. “This has primarily been driven by the strong demand for high-value and premium goods in the global marketplace, as well as the emergence of start-up retailers

who are expanding opportunistically to new overseas markets and therefore require a worldwide door-to-door delivery service. In response to the dynamic growth and to ensure that our services continue to exceed customer expectations, we have launched On Demand Delivery.” “On Demand Delivery isn’t just a new customer interface – it also represents an enhancement of our worldwide network, as we have tailored our last-mile operations to meet the specific demands of cross-border e-commerce deliveries,” said Charlie Dobbie, Executive Vice President, Network Operations, Aviation and IT, DHL Express. “Thanks to On Demand Delivery, we can support the service offering of online shippers and improve the delivery experience for their customers, while improving our own efficiency, particularly for last-mile deliveries.” On Demand Delivery is easy to use and benefits both shippers and receivers. The site is accessed from any smartphone, tablet or PC, and offers receivers up to six delivery options. Shippers can incorporate their own branding into customer notifications. Receivers can schedule a delivery, arrange delivery to a nearby DHL Service Point or their own alternate address, and even request that a shipment is put on hold during a vacation. On Demand Delivery further improves first-time delivery performance, increases customer satisfaction, and makes the overall delivery process more efficient. On Demand Delivery will be deployed to more than 100 countries through 2016 and 2017, accounting for the majority of global trade and online retail activity, and is available in over 45 languages

TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

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World Wide Technology World Wide Technology (WWT), a leading integrator that provides innovative technology and supply chain solutions to large public and private organizations, is testing new solutions that integrate Cisco Spark™ Board, an all-in-one cloud-based meeting room product. “New advancements in persistent, chat-based collaboration applications like Cisco Spark is redefining what can be done with conferencing technology,” says Joe Berger, director of WWT’s Collaboration Practice. “Based on our initial tests we believe Cisco Spark Board is an intuitive, powerful approach to collaboration that will produce huge gains in workforce productivity and learning. We installed Cisco Spark Board in our own conference rooms and without any promotion or training, our teams found it to be an irreplaceable tool in how we brainstorm ideas with a large, remote group.”

Through early beta testing of Cisco Spark Board, WWT Asynchrony Labs is developing a proof of concept for the education market to show how it can specifically enhance teacher/ student collaboration. The proposed solution will integrate Cisco Spark Board, Cisco Spark Services, and the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) which offers digital learning tools for K-12 teachers and students. A teacher can create a full course in Canvas with lectures and assignments and share that information with students for remote conferencing in a Cisco Spark room. Cisco Spark Board serves as a unified interface allowing anyone in a Cisco Spark room through the device of their choice to experience full video conferencing, audio, file sharing, group chat with bot controls, screen sharing, and physical white boarding. All interactions are done in real time and subsequently archived as recorded sessions that absent attendees or students can access. Teachers can send updates concerning homework assignments, discussion forum postings, reminders, and test grades through the platform. WWT is one of Cisco’s largest global partners and has a track record of integrating on Cisco Spark, unlocking new efficiencies for end-users and project managers. WWT is dedicating the full resources of its Advanced Technology Center and WWT Asynchrony Labs to explore all the innovative ways Cisco Spark Board can be used to achieve business outcomes across a number of industries. A WWT video unpacking Cisco Spark Board can be viewed here. A blog post outlining the new advancements in digital whiteboards can be found here.

TRANSPORT NEWS MARCH 2017

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Yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible!

Greencarrier is one of the Nordic regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest privately owned companies specialising in global transport solutions. Today we are a team of 800 employees in 14 countries with offices in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, the UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and China. freightservices.greencarrier.com