Workshop gets to the rail car - VTG with a preventive maintenance concept
Hamburg, 24 September 2008– In cooperation with the US-American Dow Chemical Company, VTG Aktiengesellschaft (WKN: VTG999 / ISIN: DE000VTG9999) has developed an innovative concept for the preventive maintenance of rail tank cars. This means that Dow gains a considerable time advantage in addition to an improved utilization of the wagon capacities.
The advantage of the maintenance concept: instead of having the rail tank car which is to be inspected roll into the workshop, a mobile inspection team travels to the customer for the checking and replaces expendable parts if necessary. This avoids workshop runs and increases the rail car’s work capability.
During the test phase of the preventive maintenance model, Dow made a number of rail tank cars available in the German town of Stade once per month. VTG had these wagons subjected to an inspection of the general condition, the chassis and the bogies in addition to the filling and emptying devices, among others. The Cefic (Rail Tank Car Inspection Checklist), which was adapted to the safety regulations at the Stade, Schkopau and Böhlen sites were taken as the basis for this.
“VTG´s preventive maintenance concept was such a success in Stade that we are now having selected rail tank cars inspected regularly at the Schkopau and Böhlen sites,“ was the delighted comment made by Peter Heinke, Mode Leader Rail Operations Europe at Dow .
Both VTG and Dow profit from this concept. The transport safety is increased with rail cars which have been subjected to a preventive inspection, the costs for possible repairs can be reduced and frictional losses and downtimes have also been reduced.
In the future, VTG will be able to also offer preventive maintenance to other customers.
About VTG:
VTG Aktiengesellschaft is one of Europe’s leading rail logistics and wagon hire companies. The company has the largest private wagon fleet in Europe. Globally the fleet consists of about 49,300 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 rail freight cars, 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 2007 VTG generated operating revenues of EUR 541.4 million and an operating result (EBITDA) of EUR 137.0 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 30 June 2008 VTG employed 833 employees worldwide in consolidated companies. Since June 2007 VTG AG has been listed on the official Prime Standard market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (SCN: VTG999).
Press contact:
Tanja Laube
Telephone: +49 (0) 40 23 54-13 41
Fax: +49 (0) 40 23 54-13 40
Email: presse@vtg.com
