The Austrian rail logistics company ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) has announced that all of its operated transfer connections will be exclusively powered by 100% green traction from renewable energies in the Czech Republic and effective immediately.
This involves intermodal transports from the town of Brno in the Czech Republic to the capital of Hungary, Budapest, or from Melnik, Bulgary to the German town of Hamburg and wagonloads from Bohumin and Petrovice of Czech Republic to Hohenau in Austria, among others.
By shifting the transfer of goods into a sustainable way in the Czech Republic, ÖBB RCG is following the footprint of Austria and Germany towards decarbonisation where all of its trains have been running on electricity from renewable energy since summer 2018 and since early 2021, respectively.
“After the Czech Republic, more countries are to follow in the coming years,” said an official from the rail transport company.
Czech Republic constitutes an important market for ÖBB RCG, while currently, over 300 employees of the company in the country handle customers in the agriculture or waste management, as well as the timber, chemical and building sector.
In addition to a warehouse with railway siding in Prague-Malešice, ÖBB Rail Cargo Group is also operating three container terminals in the Czech Republic at the central locations in Brno, Mělník and Přerov, with ample container stackers and rail facilities.
ÖBB Infrastruktur is already operating eight of its own hydroelectric power plants in Austria and one solar power plant which together generate more than one third of the required traction current, according to a release.
The goal of the rail transport company is to transfer more goods in the future, while every tonne moved by rail reduces the ecological footprint and contributes to reaching Austrian and European climate and environmental goals.
Currently, the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group’s rail freight transportation saves 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Austria and the connections in the Czech Republic will enable further increases of this amount.
