VTG expanding wagon range
Hamburg, June 12th 2007. VTG is expanding its fleet of freight cars with several hundred wagons for transporting solid bulk cargo such as coal, coke, ore, stones and soils.
“Anyone who thinks of VTG thinks first and foremost of its hire services for rail tank cars, especially for transporting hazardous goods,” notes Matthias Knüpling, head of fleet and sales management of VTG Aktiengesellschaft. “This is, of course, certainly correct and describes our core business, but we also have long experience transporting solid bulk goods and hire a relevant range of wagons, and we intend to expand this area strategically in the future.”
The VTG new build programs focus particularly on bulk freight cars for carrying ore, coal, coke, sand or gravel. “Initially, we’ll be expanding our fleet with several hundred wagons for these areas,” explains Knüpling. The first wagons are due for delivery at the end of 2007/beginning of 2008.
VTG Group has had the technical know-how and relevant wagon types for these segments for decades. Particularly with the acquisition of the European rail logistics activities of Brambles Group in 2002 VTG expanded its European vehicle fleet for transporting solid bulk goods. These vehicles include e.g. gravity discharge Falns wagons for coal transport in Germany, Fals wagons for ore consignments for the Belgian steel industry and so-called hopper wagons for transporting sand and gravel for the building materials industry in France. VTG Group’s European-oriented vehicle fleet has for a long time included wagons for carrying grain in Spain and a diversified wagon fleet in the UK for a very wide range of bulk cargo services.
“With the expansion of our open freight and flat cars, we’re also meeting the increased demand from our customers,” says Sven Wellbrock, head of sales wagon hire of VTG Deutschland GmbH. “Particularly the private-sector rail transport companies, which represent one of our constantly growing customer groups, as well as the shippers connected with these generally do not have their own vehicle fleets in this area. The private-sector haulage operators rely on their successful cooperation with VTG Group in the familiar areas of rail tank, bulk freight or high-capacity freight cars and also expect us to supply relevant equipment in other wagon segments.”
Apart from hiring rail tank and pneumatic discharge bulk freight cars, VTG Group also offers gravity discharge bulk freight cars, flat cars and open freight cars. Its fleet of approx. 47,400 wagons with more than 900 types is supplemented by advanced high-capacity freight cars, marketed via the wagon pool system of TRANSWAGGON Group, in which VTG has a 50% shareholding.
“For the benefit of our customers, we are thus focusing on developing new wagon groups and expanding our market position as one of the leading private-sector companies hiring rail freight cars in Europe,” explains Dr. Heiko Fischer, executive board chairman of VTG Aktiengesellschaft. VTG Group’s wagon hire business is supplemented by its other two segments Rail Logistics with comprehensive rail forwarding logistics services and Tank Container Logistics, for which VTG is globally oriented.
VTG at transport logistic in Munich, 12.-15.06.2007:
VTG will also be presenting its expanded wagon fleet at this fair.
Stand: Outdoor exhibition area, track 3/1
Brief profile of VTG:
VTG is a leading European provider of rail logistics services. In its core market Europe, it offers wagon hire and comprehensive rail logistics services to prestigious customers, especially from the chemical, mineral oil, car and paper industry. VTG is also active in the global market for tank container logistics.
With its approx. 47,400 rail freight cars, VTG has the largest private wagon fleet in Europe. It also has long-standing experience and expertise particularly for transporting liquid and sensitive goods. With the combination of its three successful Wagon Hire, Rail Logistics and Tank Container Logistics segments, VTG provides its customers with an effective platform for international transport services.
VTG achieved operative sales of €518.6m and an operating result (EBITDA) of €112.9m in the 2006 financial year. Group headquarters is in Hamburg. Via subsidiaries, VTG is present at 33 locations in 9 European countries. As of December 31st 2006, it had 795 employees throughout Europe. VTG Group also offers its services via other non-consolidated holdings and representative offices in a total of 39 countries.
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