ÖBB RAIL CARGO GROUP: CONNECTING UKRAINE WITH EUROPE

an incremental role in turning the Group into Europe's second largest rail freight carrier in the past decade and a half, providing quality rail logistics services in 16 other countries on the continent in addition to its two domestic markets – Hungary and Austria,” noted Imre Kovács. Expanding RCH’s traction capacity and increasing the proportion of its traction services are considered as a strategic interest for the company. With this objective in mind, RCH commissioned the subsidiary of the world's largest railway vehicle manufacturing company, the Chinese CRRC ZELC, to develop electric hybrid locomotives specifically optimized for the company’s needs. The equipment, which is currently being tested, represents a unique technology and RCH will be the first rail freight company in Europe to use this technology. Using electric-hybrid locomotives allows RCH to operate in areas with no electric overhead lines or during times of repair and maintenance of such lines. Rail tracks used for industrial sidings typically do not have such power source, so highly polluting diesel locomotives still have to be used on these lines.

Focus on sustainability

Environmental awareness is a core strategic value at RCH as well as at the whole company group. As freight transport providers, the company unburdens the environment from several hundred thousand tons of carbon dioxide. “We pay great attention to reducing environmental pollution and noise pollution to a minimum level,” stressed Imre Kovács. The vast majority of the company’s modern and energy-saving locomotives feed the electrical energy generated during braking back into the electrical network. RCH is investing more than HUF 1.5 billion to replace the traditional braking devices of its wagons with the so-called silent brakes that operate with composite brake pads required by the European Union. By the end of last year, the company equipped 75% of its fleet of 8,000 units with these devices.