ÖBB Rail Cargo Group organises multimodal transport

Brau Union Österreich and the SPAR retail chain have turned to multimodal freight for their latest transport operations with the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG). “We offer door-to-door solutions in multimodal logistics, which means that we don’t necessarily have to collect the goods from the customer by freight wagon, but can instead do so by truck,” explains Wolfgang Riedl, RCG Business Unit Manager for Wood, Paper, Building Materials, Consumer Goods and Environmental Solutions. This means that rail and road can be combined in the best possible way and in the interests of the environment.

From Vienna-Schwechat to every SPAR store
At the Schwechat brewery, the journey of the beverages begins with the first mile. The truck brings the goods to the Vienna South Terminal in a curtainsider swap body. The main leg of the journey then involves single wagonload transport to terminals as close as possible to the seven SPAR warehouses in Austria, such as the Hall terminal in Tyrol. The final step of the logistics chain, the last mile, is again handled by trucks. They transport the beverages to the SPAR warehouse in Wörgl. From here, SPAR distributes the beverages to the stores before the beer and soft drinks eventually end up in customers’ shopping trolleys.

The entire process from order to delivery in Wörgl takes just three days.

“The advantage of rail is obvious to us: loading and unloading works in the same way as it used to on trucks. This means the same amount of work, the same amount of time – but with much lower CO2 emissions. And this is something we want to reduce significantly in the future. Wörgl is therefore just the beginning,” promises Thomas Wiesinger, Warehouse Manager at Brau Union Österreich.

“Customers reach onto a shelf but rarely think about how the food got there in the first place. Nevertheless, it is important to us at SPAR Austria that the ‘journey’ of our products is as sustainable as possible,” explains Martin Gleis, Head of Logistics at SPAR Austria.

Curtainsider swap bodies show what they are capable of
For these transports, the new swap bodies of RCG, also known as Curtainsider Swap Bodies, are being used. These are real stars among load carriers because they are multimodal, bridging the gap between road and rail, and enable universal loading.

“This means that they can be loaded and unloaded from all sides, as well as from above. This is what sets them apart from a conventional container,” explains Erwin Ferstl, Segment Manager Consumer Goods at RCG.

Another advantage is that they can be used across all industries for any kinds of goods (e.g. for chemicals or in the automotive industry). In 2023, the RCG has invested in a total of 300 new swap bodies to meet the increased demand in Europe.

Sidings are optional
The transports for Brau Union Österreich and SPAR highlight the greatest advantage of multimodal transport: customers do not necessarily need their own sidings at the location. Thanks to the ideal combination of different modes of transport, with the focus on sustainable rail transport, both customers and the environment benefit from an efficient end-to-end logistics solution. So far, the use of eight swap bodies has facilitated savings of 5.7 tonnes of CO2 equivalents – a big plus in terms of sustainability, considering these transports previously took place exclusively by truck.

“The cost-intensive investments that customers had to make in the past in order to be able to transport goods by rail are no longer required here. With our door-to-door solution, we transport the goods over long distances by sustainable and environmentally friendly rail and can ultimately deliver them to every customer’s doorstep, either by siding or by truck,” says Riedl about multimodal logistics at RCG.

Transport throughout Europe
In addition to beverages, RGC transports a wide range of consumer goods throughout Europe – including pasta, disinfectants, sauces, pet foods, electronics, and much more. There are no limits when it comes to transport routes. Transport services between Germany and Italy or Hungary and Turkey, for example, are provided for a wide range of customers.

About Brau Union Österreich
Brau Union Österreich sells in excess of 5.0 million hectolitres of beer each year, supplying fifteen leading beer brands, over 100 types of beer and delivering continuous innovations. The company produces for international premium brands such as Heineken, Desperados and Sol, the cider brands Strongbow and Stibitzer, leading Austrian brands such as Gösser, Schwechater, the wheat beer brand Edelweiss and the non-alcoholic Schlossgold, as well as brands with strong regional appeal such as Zipfer, Puntigamer, Wieselburger, Kaiser, Schladminger, Reininghaus, Villacher and Fohrenburger. 2,700 employees across Austria ensure that around 49,000 customers and millions of beer lovers throughout the country are supplied with beer. It goes without saying that Brau Union Österreich prioritises using the best raw materials, ensuring the highest quality and sustainable production – both from an environmental and social perspective. Brau Union Austria has been part of the international HEINEKEN family since 2003.

Rail Cargo Group: the freight transport division of the ÖBB
As a leading rail logistics provider in Europe, ÖBB are shaping the industry, 365 days a year – 24 hours a day, across Europe and beyond into Asia. With presence in 18 countries worldwide, they connect people, businesses and markets – from the first to the last mile. It’s thanks to their 5,887 logistics professionals from 34 nations that 448,000 trains a year, respectively 1,230 a day, reach their destinations safe and sound. With their efficient end-to-end logistics services, they transport over 88 million net tonnes of freight each year. A modal share of 27.5 % (preliminary value) of the total freight market in Austria makes them top of the league in Europe. Operational management of the Rail Cargo Group lies with Rail Cargo Austria AG.