The alliance aims to increase the competitiveness of wagonload traffic in Europe significantly, thus helping take traffic off the roads and protect the environment.

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Wagonload traffic represents around half of all freight transports by rail in Europe and, according to market studies, has significant international growth potential. This most important transportation mode is now to become more attractive and more efficient. This is the goal of the new Xrail alliance, which was officially created today when the founding agreement was signed by the CEOs of its partner railway undertakings in Zurich. The alliance is made up of seven partners: CD Cargo (Czech Republic), CFL cargo (Luxembourg), DB Schenker Rail (Germany, Netherlands, Denmark), Green Cargo (Sweden, Norway), Rail Cargo Austria (Austria, Hungary), SBB Cargo (Switzerland) and SNCB Logistics (Belgium).

The alliance intends to boost the quality and competitiveness of European wagonload transport vis-à-vis road haulage. “Close cooperation on production and information processes can help us unlock significant potential in efficiency and quality”, Xrail Project Leader Günther J. Ferk explained. The Xrail cross-border production standard benefits wagonload customers in three areas: reliability (at least 90 per cent in international wagonload traffic on the Xrail network), transparency (international timetables from customer siding to customer siding, active information systems) and offering process (standard response time of three days maximum).

Xrail – a production alliance with potential for growth

After the successful completion of the pilot phase, during which services were delivered to customers according to the Xrail standards, Xrail now links the major economic areas in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden and Switzerland. Xrail builds upon the existing infrastructure, the European Union’s TEN-T corridors (Trans European Transport Network). Xrail intends to expand its network in stages, the long-term goal being to encompass the entire European wagonload traffic network.

Fixed costs make up circa 90 per cent of the cost of wagonload traffic; therefore the partners in the alliance are taking every effort to make optimum use of their respective networks in order to ensure the further development of wagonload traffic. This is good news for the environment too: the environmental performance of rail freight transport is considerably better than that of road haulage, especially over long distances.