VTG Rail UK Wins Technical Development Award
Birmingham, 8 September, 2009. Europe’s leading wagon hire and rail logistics company, VTG, has won a top prize at the 2009 Rail Freight Group Awards.
The company picked up the Technical Development Award for its aluminium JPA bogie cement wagons.
The innovative aluminium bodied design, fitted with the lightweight track friendly bogies, gives the JPA wagon a tare weight of approximately 19.5 tonnes, a saving of eight to ten tonnes over some older steel bodied bogie powder tanks, and an estimated five tonnes over a steel wagon of the same modern design.
Working closely with its suppliers and customers, VTG had to overcome a number of hurdles in the design and production process of the new wagons. The wagon had to be adapted to UK loading gauge restrictions and had to accommodate a completely different bogie with increased axle loads, as well as conforming to the new TSI approval system and the UK Railway Group Standards.
Rob Brook, MD, VTG Rail UK says: “When we started looking at introducing the next generation of bulk cement wagons to the UK market we knew we had an opportunity to do something different. We wanted to deliver a design that would increase efficiency to meet the needs of our customers and also something that would stand the test of time whilst reducing its impact on the environment.”
The wagon’s construction minimises tare weight, enabling them to carry class leading payloads, and its loading and discharge systems permit maximum versatility coupled with best possible turnaround times.
Between March and July 2008, VTG Rail UK introduced to service a fleet of 63 new JPA bogie cement wagons; 48 with Lafarge Cement and 15 with Hanson Cement. Lafarge operates its trains from Hope to storage and depots at Theale and West Thurrock, whilst the cement trains for Hanson run from Ribblesdale to Mossend Railhead near Glasgow. A typical 13 wagon train carries an average of 1,040 tonnes - the equivalent of approximately 35 lorry journeys.
Brook adds: “We are delighted to pick up the award for best Technical Development and are very pleased that the wagons have made such a big contribution to reducing road traffic. The award recognises our commitment to innovative solutions and reinforces our position as a market leader. We look forward to continuing this good work in the years to come.”
The Rail Freight Group announced the winners of the second RFG Awards at a dinner in Oxford on Tuesday 15 September, 2009. The event was attended by over 100 guests from the industry.
Ends
Notes to editors:
About VTG:
VTG Rail UK, a subsidiary of VTG Aktiengesellschaft (SCN: VTG999), is one of Europe’s leading wagon hire and rail logistics companies. The company has the largest private wagon fleet in Europe. Globally the fleet consists of about 50,000 rail freight cars with a focus on tank cars and state of the art high capacity freight cars and flat cars. In addition to the hiring of wagons, the Group offers global tank container transport and comprehensive multi-modal logistics services mainly around rail transport.
With the combination of its three interrelated divisions Wagon Hire, Rail Logistics and Tank Container Logistics VTG offers its clients a high-performance platform for international transport of their freight. The Group has many years of experience and specific know-how in particular in the transport of liquid and sensitive goods. Its customers include numerous well-known companies from almost all industrial sectors such as, for example, chemicals, mineral oil, the automobile or paper industries.
In the financial year 2008 VTG generated operating revenues of EUR 608.7 million and an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 156.4 million. Via its subsidiaries and affiliates the company, which has its head office in Hamburg, is mainly present in Europe, Asia and North America. As at 31 December 2008 VTG employed 1,004 employees worldwide in consolidated companies. Since June 2007 VTG AG has been listed on the official Prime Standard market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange – since September 2008 also on the SDAX (SCN: VTG999).
Press contact:
Vicky Leek Communications Manager
Telephone: 01444 221000
E-Mail: vicky@woodhousecommunications.co.uk
Website: www.vtg-rail.co.uk
