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04/20
The customer magazine of DB Cargo
04/2020
FOCUS
Future
For the climate. Without climate protection, there is no future.
Tomorrow is being made right now. DB Cargo has already set the path.
Page 10
EDITOR IAL 04 / 20
Editorial
Dear Readers,
2020 was a challenging year for people, the economy
and, last but not least, the climate. The pandemic
may have temporarily pushed the environmental
debate into the background, but saving the planet is
more important for our future than ever. Consumers
have been rethinking their relationship with the
environment for some time, and now the worlds of
business and politics are following suit. Carrying
on as before is no longer an option. Road traffic is
on the verge of collapse, and CO2 emissions must be
reduced. This is only possible with strong rail to
secure our future. After all, there is no means of
transport with greener credentials than rail.
In this issue, you can read about what our logistics
operations need to look like in the future, what
businesses and politicians are already doing, and
what contribution we are making.
I hope you find it interesting reading.
Yours sincerely,
Pierre Timmermans
Board Member for Sales, DB Cargo AG
02
04 / 20 EDITOR IAL
_ We must act
now, or the
consequences will
be dramatic and
felt all around
the world.
03
CONTENT 04 / 20
02 FO C U S
Editorial
10
04 Here’s how the future works!
Contents What will logistics and consumption
look like in the future? A journey to the
year 2050.
08
Inside 16
The future of logistics
An interview with futurologists Professor
Peter Holm and Karl-Heinz Land.
20
Act. Shift your cargo. Now.
What business, politicians and the DB Group
are already doing to ensure sustainability.
26
To the Far East with low emissions
How goods can be transported between
China and Europe in a more environmen-
tally friendly way.
30
_ Rail freight Goodness, gracious,
transport will be waste bales on fire!
even more impor
tant for future Clever rail logistics solution for Scandi
supply chains. navia, Italy and the environment.
04
04 / 20 CONTENT
_ DB Cargo
transports goods
via the Eurasian
corridor all the w
ay
C U S TO M E R S & M A R K E T S I N N OVAT IO N S & S O LU T IO N S
to China.
32 42
These arguments for rail are A new era
as strong as steel DB Cargo and VW are preparing for the
Welser Profile relies on DB Cargo to deliver future with a vast network for climate
its special steel profiles. friendly transport.
34 50
International and flexible Just what is the job of ...
DB Cargo transports vehicles all across ... a sustainability manager at DB Cargo?
Europe for Ford.
51
38 Looking ahead & publishing details
A well-received logistics package
A new Europe-wide transport concept for Visit our website and subscribe to
Evonik’s speciality chemicals. our newsletter: www.dbcargo.com/
newsletteranmeldung
40
Running like a well-oiled machine AWARDS
DBrail pipeline offers flexibility and
Our customer magazine has won
stability for the mineral oil industry. Gold at the FOX AWARDS and an
Award of Excellence at the ICMA
Awards.
05
Wherever you are, we’re there too.
N E T WO R K S
We can do it!
Even in the mountains! Or by the sea. We’re even
there for you on the worldwide web — virtually.
We’ve got content that is humorous and serious,
important and entertaining, and always full of
genuine enthusiasm for rail freight transport.
Here’s where to find us:
dbcargo.com
dbcargo.com/newsletter
DB_Cargo
company/db-cargo-ag
db_cargo
dbcargooffiziell
companies/deutschebahn-dbcargoag
INSIDE 04 / 20
R A ILWAYS IN SIDE
_ In 2019, around
400,000 tonnes
of recycled ballast
were used in the
upgrading and
maintenance of
tracks.
C L I M AT E - FR I E N D LY FAC T S
Did you know ... 60%
of DB Cargo traffic
... that green electricity makes up 60% of
crosses at least
DB’s traction current mix? That proportion is
one national border
far higher than in the public grid.
1,900
... that efforts to shift traffic to rail are
aimed at curbing total CO2 emissions by up to
10.5 million tonnes a year? This figure is
equivalent to the annual CO2 footprint of one
million people.
smart locomotives already
... that the goal of Strong Rail for passenger send automated status reports
transport is to double ridership on long- on their condition
distance services to 260 million and add a
1 million
billion more passengers in regional and local
transport, eliminating five million car jour-
neys and around 14,000 plane trips every
day in Germany?
... that DB has given a new home to over tonnes of goods are trans-
56 million bees on DB land? ported by DB Cargo by rail
through Germany and Europe
... that DB trains all locomotive drivers in every business day
energy-saving driving techniques, reducing
energy consumption by up to to 10%? •
08
04 / 20 INSIDE
_ DB Cargo couples
up 54,000 wagons
and trains in
Germany every day.
EVPLUS P I L O T P RO J E C T
New door-to-door solution Digital automatic
EVplus is a new single wagonload product between Hamburg and
Cologne developed by DB Cargo: door-to-door delivery by fast over-
coupling
night service — it provides easy access to the rail network, even for This year, DB Cargo has been testing digital
customers without their own siding. automatic coupling (DAC) in marshalling yards in
Görlitz to create more capacity on the railways.
The new EVplus product stands for the integration of wagonload and DAC automatically connects pairs of freight
intermodal transport and is the first product to offer systematically wagons and speeds up the train formation process.
combined transport in the single wagonload system. The customer It also reduces the physical workload for railway
can leave everything to us: DB Cargo Logistics takes charge of organi- staff: DAC will make manual screw couplings,
sing every aspect of the service, including first and last mile deliveries which have been used to couple almost all
by lorry and the provision of equipment such as 45-foot swap bodies. European freight trains for over 100 years, a
thing of the past.
Since the product launched, pilot customer Coca-Cola has been lever-
aging the new offer on a daily basis to handle smaller cargo volumes DAC is ushering in a broad digitalisation of rail
simply and sustainably by rail. What started with Coca-Cola is also freight transport and is an important part of
available to all other customers of DB Cargo. Intermodal transport efforts to boost transport performance by some
is in high demand especially in the consumer goods market. Other 70% or more. Running until the end of 2022,
routes are set to follow from 2021 with a long-term view to connec- the project was commissioned by the German
ting all the economic centres in Germany. • Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infra-
structure, which has also provided funding to the
tune of EUR 13 million. Apart from DB and its
subsidiary DB Cargo, five other European freight
operating companies are also involved. •
Stephanie Reinert,
Head of Consumer Goods, DB Cargo,
stephanie.reinert@deutschebahn.com
09
FO C U S 04 / 20 Here’s how the future works! 10
04 / 20 FO C U S
Often we don’t notice a turning point until we look back. 2020 was
one such point, the height of a trend that started with industriali
sation and seemed unstoppable by the mid-20th century.
Rainforests burned on an unprecedented scale. Factory farming,
environmental pollution, the coronavirus pandemic and ravenous
consumption of resources by nearly eight billion people pulled
the planet to the brink of collapse. Yet this was also the start of a
development that would ultimately deliver completely carbon-free
and sustainable supply chains and consumption.
11FO C U S 04 / 20
“Implant possible. The major crises of the early
2020s paved the way for the first green
ables and German government and even the first
biohacking: green Federal Chancellor. Even more
surprising was that almost all the
In 2050, opposition parties suddenly recog-
nised the urgency of the situation and
messages pulled together. Railways were ex
panded, there was a push to accelerate
will be a clever mix of transport modes, and
projected last but not least, digitalisation was
fully embraced and took a giant leap in
directly onto the mid-2020s. Since then, logistics
has been inconceivable without artifi-
your retina.” cial intelligence. Companies like Eco-
Con reaped the benefits, too; without
zero-carbon transport they couldn’t
even exist on the market. In addition
to sustainable silphium honey, the
group offers a selection of purely vegan
products. Amid the 2020 coronavirus
pandemic, even the most die-hard
sceptics came to realise that factory
farming had simply become untenable.
There was already a trend towards
vegetarian food back at the turn of the
century, though it failed to fully catch
on at first. Now it would be unthinkable
to practise factory farming or ship and
slaughter animals under cruel condi-
tions. It took a while to turn the corner,
I
but 15 years ago EcoCon really found
its stride, even manufacturing artifi-
cial protein in small regional labo-
n 2050, no one can say for decisions for the entire continent. ratories. The feat rendered factory
sure whether it was the pan- What a difference they made back farming obsolete in a single stroke,
demic that opened people’s then! Today, Emma is supply chain while also significantly reducing the
eyes or the Fridays for manager for logistics at EcoCon, the huge swathes of land lost to water-
Future demonstrations that leading consumer goods group, and is hungry and energy-guzzling farming.
finally yielded results. The actively helping to shape what she and In their place, forests were replanted
fact remains, though, that her fellow campaigners took to the and rivers restored; the climate recov-
life has changed radically in the last streets for 30 years ago. A gentle vibra- ered noticeably. The artif icial proteins
30 years because people themselves tion on the back of her hand interrupts eventually enabled researchers to
have changed. Suddenly, living sus- her thoughts and tugs her out of the churn some staple foods out of a 3D
tainably is more than just the latest hip past and back to the present — her chip printer. What had already become
thing to do — it’s taken deep root in implant is signalling an incoming mes- mainstream in industry by the end of
people’s consciousness. Emma doesn’t sage. Once she confirms, the message the 2020s went on to revolutionise the
take it for granted, though. Back in her is projected directly onto her retina: consumer goods sector, too. People
school days, she took part in the Fridays “Your DB Cargo shipment is arriving started transporting things much less
for Future movement herself. The in exactly 15 minutes.” and with much more awareness of the
movement set its sights high, but environmental impact. Now, products
nobody would have ever believed that Vegan and carbon-free are transported from laboratory centres
one day Greta Thunberg would be the to stores exclusively by zero-carbon
Environment Commissioner of the After all, supply chains in 2050 are not rail, with most of the lines laid under-
European Union. In 2050, it is now an only completely carbon-free; they are ground. As a result, freight transport
EU that truly deserves to be called a also absolutely reliable and accurate to was fully decoupled from passenger
community, a union working together the minute. A comprehensive rethink- transport by the end of the 2030s.
to draw up and implement binding ing of policy was what made this all Traffic flows immediately became
1204 / 20 FO C U S
“In the future, artificial
proteins will enable us to pull
staple foods out of 3D printers
on demand.”
13FO C U S 04 / 20 “More or less in person: Holographic avatars are so real that travelling is almost unneces- sary.” 14
04 / 20 FO C U S
safer and more reliable. This was a very old-fashioned choice, almost
also due to the automation of all trans- nostalgic, with no electrical assistance.
port. That step was the only way to Now that there is barely any private
achieve true efficiency. Since then, transport, city centres have become a
errors and accidents have been few and paradise for pedestrians and cyclists.
far between, and artificial intelligence Emma lives in a particularly green
has been nearly flawless at planning neighbourhood, where each house
the massive flows of goods. What’s facade is planted with algae. It wrings
more, all major cities have the last bit of CO2 from the atmosphere
dedicated underground rail sidings for while also insulating residents from
distributing supplies. Only more rural the heat and cold. The front door opens
areas still need transhipment points; automatically when Emma reaches the
the last mile is served by drones or entrance. Her daughter Carly is
hydrogen-powered, self-driving lor- already waiting for her in the kitchen:
ries, depending on the cargo volume. “At school today we had to separate
Emma’s store is fortunately big our own garbage to learn how the
enough. robots always do it. Super yucky!”
“You don‘t know how good you have it,
Fully automated delivery in an Carly,” Emma replies with a laugh.
underground company station Even Emma’s mother, who now lives
in South Africa but visits the family
The locomotive glides into the station virtually every day as an avatar, can’t
with barely a sound and stops with supress a smile. “Let me tell you what
millimetre precision. Emma’s chip your mother had to do to save us and
vibrates again as she takes the elevator the planet when she was your age. In
down to the track, but unloading is those days they used to compress the
fully automatic, too. Holograms dis- rubbish and drag it halfway through
play data about the delivery: the size Europe to the incinerator – but at least
and weight, the number of pallets and that meant it didn’t end up in some
robots needed for unloading, and the Asian landfill.” Carly shakes her head
train’s departure time. After a quick in disbelief – how primitive! Mean-
check and an automated comparison while, researchers are increasingly
against the order, solar-powered robots talking about breakthroughs and the
unload precisely the quantities that first tangible successes at beaming.
are needed – with absolute exactitude. That would totally transform logistics,
However, the artificial intelligence taking it into the world of information
doesn’t just calculate how much pro and data logistics. There would be a
duct Emma’s store goes through in a need and an opportunity to redesign a
day. Three decades of machine learn- lot of things from the ground up.
ing have practically erased the concept Emma, at any rate, likes that idea. •
of overproduction. Nothing is ever
produced that won’t actually be con-
sumed. The resource waste of the 20th
century is now finally a thing of the
past. Emma watches with satisfaction
as the wagons are emptied out and her
mechanical colleagues collect and
assemble the goods. She observes
every step very closely. The techno
logy may be well engineered, but it
still doesn’t hurt for a human to give it
a random check every now and again.
She checks, for example, whether the
right quality seals are on the goods.
There is one for carbon-free transport
and another for fair and environmen-
tally friendly production. Emma
makes her way home on a bicycle. It’s
15FO C U S 04 / 20
The future
of logistics
1604 / 20 FO C U S
What changes is the logistics industry poised to
encounter and how can the industry become even
more sustainable? An interview with futurologists
Karl-Heinz Land and Professor Peter Holm.
The German government has set consumers are willing to pay more for more on the efficiency gains and inno-
targets for transportation in its products transported regionally and vative power of digitalisation: sensors,
climate protection programme. The sustainably. Thanks to Greta, we have platforms and hubs. We’re just getting
aim is to put a price on CO2 emis- more awareness today. It remains to be started on that front and we need to
sions and cut them by 40% while seen how ready people are – and espe- keep going.
electrifying transport and shifting cially how willing they are to pay.
cargo to rail. Are these goals too L A N D I agree completely, espe-
ambitious or not ambitious enough, L A N D That’s the chicken-or-the- cially when we look at platforms and
in your view? egg problem. There’s no question our the sharing economy. The evidence
consumers are spoiled. In other EU shows that smart systems use 70-90%
L A N D Frankly, I find these countries, people are more willing to fewer resources. Artificial intelligence
requirements to be a bit of a disgrace. spend more money on groceries. That (AI) will provide enormous leverage
We aren’t challenging industry point will take some practice here. But in this arena. Digitalisation is an im
enough, and if you ask me, they’ve set you can explain it to people and show portant step towards greater sustain
the price of CO2 so low you have to dig them: if you do this, here’s what will ability, and this is where the business
for it. I am an outspoken believer in the happen. We’ll all be very grateful to sector needs to take action first.
circular economy and I think every Greta some day, because that’s exactly
thing has its true price. Plastic bottles what she is doing. Now we need to take Do companies need to employ
should never have cost less than glass the next few steps and explain that offensive tactics or should they wait
ones. That’s why things will probably this transition won’t be free. for demand for sustainable solutions
take a very long time to happen. to grow? Put another way, does the
Where is there economic potential onus of sustainability fall to compa-
H O L M I think it’s great that poli- still waiting to be tapped? nies or consumers?
cymakers are setting goals, and I find
them ambitious. However, I also think H O L M Right now, 75% of all goods L A N D That’s a definite maybe. It’s
it’s crucial to have even more interplay are transported by road. Our existing no longer a matter of either/or – it’s the
between various modes of transport to infrastructure is approaching its limits “and” that’s important. We have to do
combat climate change. It will take in this regard. However, there are both — push and pull, create demand
more than a carbon price if we really some initiatives to shift more freight to and apply pressure. Pressure is coming
want to significantly reduce CO2; for the rails and step up combined trans- from climate change and congested
instance, we would need a digital infra- port. Railway.tools is a platform which roads, but also from digitalisation and
structure and for society as a whole to aims to improve interfaces between automation. Those who fail to digital-
step in. We need to tackle this issue on road and rail. The platform was ise and network will not be in a posi-
a broader front. launched by Bundesverband Güterver- tion to automate. Those who don’t
kehr Logistik und Entsorgung (BGL), automate will fall victim to digital
It seems like it’s trendy to be con- a Germany-wide association for freight Darwinism and put themselves at an
sidered green in our society. But are transport, logistics and waste manage- economic disadvantage.
people ready to pay the “true” price ment, and the Pro-Rail Alliance. Over-
for things? all, the issue is highly complex, and H O L M For companies, the ball is
the process will take many years. Uni- clearly in their court. Along with pro-
H O L M There are several examples form norms and standards would be tecting the environment, companies
where this is the case. In Austria, for helpful. To make rail freight transport need to improve the transparency of
instance, there is a platform where more sustainable, we should focus all the partners in their supply
17FO C U S 04 / 20
Peter Holm
Professor Peter Holm is Vice
Dean of the Department of
Economics at Provadis School
of International Management
and Technology in Frankfurt.
His research and teaching
focus on logistics and supply
chain management, digitalisa-
tion and sustainability.
chains and deliver increasingly cus- right now was triggered by Fridays for
tomised, customer-focused services. Future, and itʼs just the beginning.
“In some areas, New (cyber-physical) systems and AI
will help them do it.
I believe awareness is rising at all
levels. The economy will follow eco
we will need to How green is logistics today? Could
logy. Every company will ensure that
it becomes more sustainable, or risk
bid adieu to it be any greener right now? being left behind.
the way things H O L M It could be much, much What role do sustainable logistics
used to be.” greener. The question is, what makes
companies work toward sustainable
play in meeting climate targets?
supply chains? Pressure is increasingly H O L M A hugely important one.
PETER HOLM
coming from society and from innova- If we consider that the majority of all
tive start-ups. But we need a high-level goods are transported by road, then
discussion of this topic. Freight trans- logistics becomes an obvious issue for
port will see double-digit growth. climate protection. We also need to
That’s why companies need to think bear in mind that more and more
about future solutions today. It’s people are being drawn to urban areas.
also important for companies to waste How will goods be transported there in
no time looking for partners and the future? Politicians will certainly
specialists and to rethink their busi- discuss bans on lorries, but above all
ness models. we have an opportunity to think inno-
vatively about how we can better
L A N D One thing is abundantly establish hubs and parcel stations.
clear: in the business world, we have
paid attention to social issues but not L A N D Taking a look at Germany’s
as much to the environment. We’ve total CO2 emissions – some 800 mil-
been standing still for the last 30 years; lion tonnes in 2019 – we know that
there hasn’t been enough pressure. But transport and logistics account for
now we’re at a tipping point, where the roughly 165 million tonnes of them.
trend is moving towards an eco-social That’s why we should definitely make
market economy. What we are seeing logistics more sustainable, but we
1804 / 20 FO C U S
Karl-Heinz Land
Karl-Heinz Land is a keynote
speaker, coach, self-proclaimed
out-of-the-box thinker and
author of the books “Earth
5.0” and “Digital Darwinism”.
His latest booklet on how the
novel coronavirus is changing
our future is available as a
free download:
https://karlheinzland.com/
new-purpose/
shouldn’t think that’s the whole battle. future, as is openness to innovation.
Every individual needs to do their part. Green logistics will definitely pay off
In your opinion, what should
over the long haul.
“We’ll all be very
logistics services look like going
forward, and how much logistics
What is the most important issue
companies need to tackle and
grateful to Greta
can we even afford? implement now? some day.”
L A N D The most important thing L A N D As I see it, one of their big- KARL-HEINZ LAND
is to establish smart systems and gest levers is the platform economy,
multi-modal platforms. We need i.e. introducing intelligence into their
systems that put out as little CO2 as systems. Digitalisation is also impor-
possible as well as renewable energy tant, along with preventing goods from
sources. But we also need human intel- being transported unnecessarily. We’ll
ligence to avoid unnecessary trans- need technological progress to achieve
ports like returns in e-commerce. that.
We have to completely rethink things
and ensure that logistics for the last H O L M Companies should first
mile remain highly efficient, and that understand the importance of current
we aren’t driving to a single destina- and future challenges so they can
tion five times. develop the right kinds of sustainabil-
ity and digitalisation strategies and
HOLM I’m with you there. Smart think them all the way through. Sus-
systems will support this shift. This tainability shouldn’t just be a buz-
model requires very highly trained zword; all its ramifications must be
specialists, but also means we need to fully understood and implementation
decentralise production into regions. must proceed accordingly. Companies
The coronavirus has prompted some should be open to engaging in more
questions, like is it really necessary to partnerships. After all, sustainability is
fly everyday items halfway around the not a short-term campaign with a quick
globe? The issue of linking different payoff. In some areas, we will need to
modes of transport is vital for the bid adieu to the way things used to be. •
19FO C U S 04 / 20 Act. Shift your cargo. Now. Globalisation and capitalism have brought great prosperity, but sometimes the environment is left to foot the bill. A shift in the mindset of consumers has long been underway, and politicians and companies are rising to the occasion, too. Find out what has to happen to meet climate targets and how the entire DB Group is working for more sustainability and environmental friendliness. 20
04 / 20 FO C U S
taxed. According to estimates, this
step will trim road traffic emissions
by 40-42% by 2030 compared to 1990
levels. Renewable energies, rail and
electric mobility, meanwhile, are to
receive subsidies. The German federal
government and Deutsche Bahn aim to
invest EUR 86 billion to expand and
promote the rail network by 2030. The
value-added tax on long-distance train
tickets was discounted to 7% at the
beginning of the year, while the air
traffic levy is increasing to prevent
dumping prices. The expansion will
_ Freight trains
also raise the appeal of rail freight
transport consumer
goods with up to transport, enabling significantly more
95% fewer CO2 goods to shift to trains.
emissions than Businesses are increasingly step-
aeroplanes. ping up to protect the climate, too.
They are feeling the pressure from
consumers. The way foods are pro-
duced plays a role in consumers’ pur-
chasing decisions. Companies are
thus deferring to rising demand for
sustainability. A petition by Oatly,
N
a manufacturer of substitute dairy
products, which calls for all foods to
owadays we’re living in kilometres away from where they are have CO2 labels on their packaging, has
the lap of luxury: wher- produced. The implications for the been signed by around 57,000 people.
ever we go, we can buy environment are grim. Alongside nutritional values, manu-
food from anywhere in facturers would also need to disclose
the world whenever we Subsidies increase rail freight how much greenhouse gas their pro
want it — not only when it’s time for transport’s appeal ducts emit.
the harvest. Trains, planes and ships
transport fruit and vegetables directly That’s because the volume of goods Everyone should have access to rail
to us from overseas. Given today’s being transported will continue to
eating habits, it would no longer be climb. But how can we come to grips Sigrid Nikutta, Board Member for
possible to keep everyone supplied with this rising tide of goods? Space is Freight Transport at Deutsche Bahn
without these long transport routes, in short supply, and the roads are and CEO of DB Cargo, can imagine a
because regional foods would fall short packed. Seeing as long transport routes similar seal of quality for the transport
of feeding even a third of the world’s are essential, the only feasible way out of goods. After all, why make products
population. That is the conclusion of is to move traffic onto rail, a greener sustainably only to then pour tonnes
an international study led by Aalto option that will lighten the load on the of CO2 into the atmosphere to trans-
University in Finland and published in roads and the seas. As it stands now, port them halfway around the world?
the journal “Nature Food”. Depending rail accounts for only 18% of the total “My dream is for everyone to have a
on the type of crops studied, only freight transported in Germany. A great sense of environmental aware-
11–28% of them are able to cover human comprehensive climate protection pro- ness. I want us to be able to stand in
needs within a radius of 100 kilo- gramme from the German government the supermarket and look at a seal that
metres. Almost everywhere, foods has set targets with a view to shifting tells us our granola travelled by green
have to be transported over long traffic to more environmentally transport operated by DB Cargo.”
distances. For instance, 26–64% of friendly modes of transport: starting Rail freight transport can make
them are consumed more than 1,000 in 2021, climate-busting CO2 will be a massive contribution to meeting
21FO C U S 04 / 20
DB Group’s measures
for the climate
TRANSPORT: HOW GREEN
ARE YOUR MEANS?
For the first time ever, the latest version of
EcoTransIT World makes it possible to calculate
the energy consumption, CO2 and pollutant emis-
sions of every freight transport worldwide and
for all modes of transport. Calculate the environ-
mental footprint of your transports at
http://www.ecotransit.com
DBeco plus DBeco neutral _ It doesn’t get any
greener than this:
DB Cargo’s DBeco plus pro The DB Cargo product DBeco
cycling to the train.
duct enables carbon-free neutral compensates for
freight transport on all unavoidable CO2 emissions
routes in Germany and during transport, such as in
Austria. DB Cargo deter- pre- and onward-carriage
mines exactly how much by lorry. The supply chain’s
energy a given transport total CO2 emissions are also
requires, then buys that calculated. Customers can
amount of green electricity
from renewable sources.
decide how much of the
emissions to offset. Together Cutting rail- Reaching a
Ten per cent of the revenue
brought in by DBeco plus
with its partner, atmosfair,
DB Cargo then invests in way noise 95% recy-
goes to fund facilities that
produce or store renewable
appropriately selected
sustainability projects in by 50% by cling rate
electricity. DB Cargo issues
certificates certifying the
accordance with the rigorous
CDM Gold Standard. the end of by the end
2020 of 2020
CO2 savings.
Partnering with atmosfair
and Gold Standard
atmosfair is a climate protection organisation focused on
mobility. Unavoidable CO2 emissions can be offset by pay-
ments. The funds go to certified climate protection projects.
www.atmosfair.de
The Gold Standard was created by the WWF and other NGOs in
2013 to better align climate protection projects with environ- Protecting Climate
animals and neutral by
mental protection and sustainable development. The Gold
Standard sets requirements for projects to maximise their
positive impact.
www.goldstandard.org plants 2050
2204 / 20 FO C U S
climate targets. “In Germany we
have something that many envy us for:
single wagonload traffic. We have nine
big marshalling yards and shunt at
over 100 locations in the country. This
means that we can move rapidly to
combine single wagons into trains in
an environmentally friendly way and
transport them throughout Europe,”
Nikutta adds. But the railways are far
from their full capacity at present.
That will change. Whether or not it
has its own rail siding, every company
should be given access to the railways.
In order to make this add up for busi-
nesses, further transhipment termi- 1
nals are to be built, where goods can be
loaded from road to rail. DB Cargo also
offers bespoke solutions to help compa-
nies such as binderholz shift more
traffic onto the railways (read more on
the next double-page spread). This
modal shift strategy goes hand in hand 2
with big investments in new technol-
ogy, such as modular freight wagons
and digital automatic coupling (DAC).
1 _ The DB Group
is building for the
End-to-end climate protection at
environment.
the DB Group
2 2 _ The Group
The entire DB Group has committed aims to halve
to a strong rail system for the sake railway noise by
of the climate. The DB Group has the end of 2020.
adopted over 150 measures as part of
its commitment to climate, nature and
resource protection and reductions in
noise pollution. The Group’s Advanced
TrainLab, the laboratory of the future,
is testing technical, environmentally
friendly innovations directly on mov-
ing passenger trains. The laboratory
is trying out a novel diesel fuel, for
example. The alternative fuel is pro-
duced exclusively from residual and
waste materials from vegetable and more, new half-litre reusable bottles “We have set ourselves the task of
animal fats. are making their debut, saving around decarbonising mobility. In doing so,
Food and drink on passenger trains 38 tonnes of plastic waste on trains per we are assuming responsibility for
is becoming more sustainable too: no year over conventional reusable bot- the environment and our society: We
longer will the leftovers from Deutsche tles. The DB Group is pressing forward are strengthening the railways in
Bahn passengers languish in the rub- with the change in mobility elsewhere Germany by creating more capacity
bish bin; they will be donated to a good too. Together with the country’s En and rethinking mobility in green
cause instead. Since February 2020, vironment Ministry, Deutsche Bahn terms — for the climate, for people, for
customers have been able to buy sus- plans to create 100,000 additional the economy and for Europe,” explains
tainable bottles of Share mineral water parking spaces for bicycles at German Nikutta. “But for us, green is far more
from the on-board bistros of long- railway stations as part of its Bike+Ride than just an attitude. It shapes what
distance trains. The proceeds go to campaign. To achieve this, it is pro we do.” •
fund the construction of wells to supply viding DB-owned space to local author-
potable water worldwide. What’s ities and municipalities rent-free.
23FO C U S 04 / 20
Training
for climate Great,
protection green
and high-
T performing
aking the train is environmentally friendly, and it is
even climate-neutral with green electricity. However,
energy remains a precious resource. This is why
DB Cargo’s drivers are trained in energy-efficient driving
techniques by DB Training, Learning & Consulting. They
are shown how timetables, driving and route dynamics,
rolling stock technology and their own behaviour all come
together to affect energy efficiency.
Cutting energy consumption by 10%
The driving simulator is the most important tool for this
training. Here, comparison runs are carried out under real
conditions. The simulated runs help the rivers to under-
stand the interaction between timetables, driving and route
dynamics, rolling stock technology and their own behaviour
T
and put these principles into practice to improve energy effi- oday, diesel locomotives are still
ciency. The participants receive an analysis of the results to being used in single wagonload
help them optimise their driving in a targeted manner. The transport in order to haul freight
analysis is put in terms of euros and cents to demonstrate wagons to customers’ private sidings.
the energy savings. Comparing drivers who have already While more than 60% of the railway
received the training with those who have not shows that network is electrified, a combustion
the courses promote climate protection: Those who have engine is usually the only way to over-
practised energy-efficient driving ultimately consume come the last mile to the customer.
around 10% less energy by avoiding unnecessary starting, By 2030, DB Cargo aims to equip 70%
braking and accelerating. • of its diesel locomotive fleet with inno-
vative drive systems, and by 2050 the
DB Group even intends to replace all
diesel vehicles.
17,000 fewer tonnes of CO2 per year
_ Cologne-
Dellbrück: In the
2.2-tonne train The new Vectron Dual Mode electro-
simulator, a single diesel locomotives can go either way:
mouse click they can run with both diesel engines
switches on snow, and electrically on routes with over-
fog or heavy rain. head lines. This flexibility reduces
diesel consumption and CO2 emis-
sions. The new locomotives will save
Deutsche Bahn around 17,000 tonnes
of CO2 every year. The bi-mode loco-
motive runs with zero local emissions.
In addition to traditional operations on
customer sidings, which are generally
not electrified, bi-mode locomotives
will also be able to cover heavier hand-
2404 / 20
“THINK LESS,
IMPLEMENT MORE!”
Commentary
by Martin Sigl,
Logistics
Manager from
binderholz
As the world market leader in cross laminated timber, we
_ Bi-mode locomo produce environmentally friendly building materials, so it
tive: The new is practically a given that we also make our transport green.
Vectron Dual Mode We have therefore asked ourselves where lorries are really
saves DB Cargo needed and where we can switch to rail. And lo and behold,
up to eight million a heck of a lot can be done: Together with DB Cargo, we
litres of diesel
were able to put old factory tracks like those in Burg
per year.
bernheim back into commission. We also adapted existing
wagon equipment so that from spring 2021, we will be able
to transport freight to our sawmill in Fügen on the narrow-
gauge railway in the Ziller Valley. This means that we more
over journeys in future that require
than doubled our transhipment capacity for our main plant,
larger diesel and electric locomotives
rendering thousands of lorry journeys superfluous every
today. DB Cargo has initially ordered
year. We were able to get particularly large-volume trans-
100 class 248 locomotives. Delivery
ports from the sawmill in Kösching up to the northern
will start in 2023; the framework
ports onto rail very quickly. In areas where we previously
agreement allows for a volume of up to
only used lorries, we now transport entirely by rail.
400 vehicles. •
Together with DB Cargo Logistics, we have increased the
proportion of logs transported by rail from 20% to 40%
within three years. The modal shifts implemented in the
last few months alone have helped binderholz avoid around
ADVANTAGES AND 42,000 trips by lorry per year in the long term, and we are
constantly implementing new rail solutions. If all compa-
EFFECTS nies did this, the impact on the environment would be
profound.
• Use of locomotives in line with However, it is not enough for the government to invest
requirements, with adequate power billions in rail infrastructure. At the same time, it also
and low energy consumption
needs to invest in equipment such as craneable and rail-
• Trains can use electricity under over- ready semi-trailers so that existing structures can be used
head lines, lowering energy costs, more effectively to get more volume onto the rails. But
reducing noise emissions and above all, companies must have the will to shift traffic. It
significantly improving the carbon
pays to stop the endless rumination and just get cracking.
footprint
With DB Cargo, you can quickly find creative and economi-
• Increasing the performance of local cal solutions. •
services under the overhead lines
enables both heavier trains and
higher speeds, thus ensuring train
path availability with increasing
network capacity utilisation
Martin Fiebig, key account manager, DB Cargo Logistics
martin.f.fiebig@deutschebahn.com
25FO C U S 04 / 20 To the Far East with low emissions 26
04 / 20 FO C U S
China wants to be more environ-
mentally friendly. Carbon-free
transport of goods to the EU is
helping it achieve this goal.
DB Cargo Eurasia has been running
container trains full of clothing,
food and machinery between
Europe and China for more than
ten years. But rail transport is
set to take off, since its environ-
mental credentials far outstrip
those of air and sea freight.
I
n late September, Chinese
President Xi Jinping made an
historic announcement: China
would achieve climate neutral-
ity by 2060. A hefty ambition
considering the country still tops the
list of the world’s biggest greenhouse
gas emitters. Instead of pointing the
finger at Western industrial nations,
the economic giant now wants to get
to work itself. The trans-Eurasian
corridor, one of the world’s most fasci-
nating globalisation projects, will be a
particularly important part of this.
China wants to shift traffic to rail to
avoid having its exports slapped with
CO2 duties — which the EU is already
discussing.
Dr Carsten Hinne, Senior Vice-
President Corridor Development/
_ DB Cargo
Eurasian Corridor and CEO of
Eurasia is helping
China become more DB Cargo Eurasia GmbH: “China is
environmentally expanding rail on a massive scale to
friendly with low- mitigate the climate impact of road
carbon transports. traffic, among other aims.” After all,
no other means of long-distance trans-
port can hold a candle to rail in terms
of CO2 efficiency right now: freight
trains emit around 95% less CO2 than
air freight and a third less than road
haulage. The figures compare well
with sea transport too. If you want to
organise intercontinental logistics
27FO C U S 04 / 20
1 _ DB Cargo
transported
130,000 standard
containers on the
Eurasian Corridor
in 2019.
2 _ Soon a tree
will be planted for
every container
train that travels
from Xi’an to
Europe.
1
chains that are fit for the future, that deliveries of anti-virus supplies to around 130,000 standard containers
there is no way around rail freight Europe are on the rise. Rail is quick (TEUs) on the Eurasian corridor in
transport. and green at as little as a tenth of the 2019. We want to hit the 200,000
transport cost. TEU mark in 2020. Our target for
Growth despite the coronav irus 2025 is 500,000 TEUs,” says Hinne.
crisis Several weekly connections From one single train in 2008, capac-
between China and Europe ity has since grown to several connec-
Companies have been shifting freight tions every week between various
transport to and from Asia onto the DB Cargo is looking to further boost industrial centres in China and
rail network for more than ten years its transport capacity. Despite the Europe. By the end of 2020, 2,700
now. DB Cargo Eurasia has been haul- steady growth, a mere 2% of all freight container trains will have travelled
ing containers to and from China since traffic to and from China currently from China to Europe and around
2008. According to China Rail, a total travels by rail. “DB Cargo carried 1,900 in the opposite direction.
of 4,329 container trains ran between
the EU and China in 2019, more than a
5% gain compared to the previous year.
So far, even the coronavirus pandemic
of 2020 shows no signs of having
halted this growth; on the contrary,
about 11% more trains ran from Janu- 2
ary to April 2020 than in the same
period of 2019.
Transit times from China to Europe
have steadily reduced over the past
few years, as well; terminal-to-terminal
times currently stand at 12–14 days.
New routes are being added all the
time. Since April 2020 there has been a
weekly connection from Xi’an via
Kaliningrad (rail) to Rostock (contai
ner ship) and on to Duisburg, Hamburg
or Verona (rail) in 11 to 13 days. This
means that rail freight transport
between Asia and Europe has devel-
oped into an absolutely reliable alter-
native to air freight, especially now
2804 / 20 FO C U S
Planting trees, saving paper
RAIL VS. SHIP
DB Cargo Eurasia relies on partners to
further expand rail transport on the Ninety per cent of consumer goods
Eurasian Corridor and make it even are shipped by sea, severely damaging
more sustainable. Following an agree- the environment. Tank containers holding
ment between the operator of the ITL caustic chemicals pollute and destroy
logistics platform and DB Cargo Eurasia the world’s waters. They also contribute
“China is mas- in spring 2019, a tree will be planted to dwindling stocks of whales and other
ocean mammals; some 45% of endangered
for each container train that the two
sively expanding
ocean species are dying out due to dis-
partners send from Xi’an to Europe. turbed ecosystems. It is true that a ship
A whole forest will spring from this
rail to rein in the
can transport more containers than a
spontaneous initiative to document train. However, overloaded ships and
impact of road sustainability. towering waves send roughly 10,000
DB Cargo Eurasia is also working in containers a year tumbling overboard into
traffic on the tandem with DB Systel and Deutsche the depths of the ocean. The environment
is clearly better off with rail. DB Cargo
Bahn International Affairs to speed up
climate, among
Eurasia transports freight with fewer
transports between Asia and Europe pollutants and is safer and more resilient
even further. In September 2020, the
other aims.”
to inclement weather.
parties discussed the digitalisation of
international container transport on
DR CARSTEN HINNE the Eurasian Corridor in a meeting
Senior Vice President Corridor with other members of the Seven Rail-
Development/Eurasian Corridor and
ways Agreement. One possible solu-
CEO of DB Cargo Eurasia GmbH
tion: blockchain. Among other things,
this could eliminate paper transport
documents, making shipments even
more environmentally friendly. •
_ The trains need
just under two Dmitrij Hasenkampf
weeks to carry the Sales Director, DB Cargo Eurasia GmbH
containers from dmitrij.hasenkampf@deutschebahn.com
Asia to Europe.
Yekaterinburg
Moscow
Nizhnekamsk
Kaliningrad
Rostock Samara
Hamburg Berlin
Duisburg Brest
Ulaanbaatar Manzhouli
Dobrá Karaganda Alashankou
Atyrau Harbin
Ürümqi
Verona Zamyn-Üüd Shenyang
Almaty
Schymkent Eren Hot Dailan
Baku Beijing
Xi’an Yantai
Zhengzhou
Chengdu Hefei Suzhou
Shanghai
Chongqing
Wuhan Ningbo
Changsha Yiwu
Guangzhou
Shenzhen
29FO C U S 04 / 20
Goodness, gracious,
waste bales on fire!
Italy is short of waste incineration plants, while Scandinavia lacks warm
weather. A clever rail logistics solution for Scandinavian combined heat
and power plants uses substitute fuels (RDFs) to turn these two shortages
into a win-win situation. The fuels are made out of waste from Italy.
The scheme is particularly good for the environment when the fuels are
shipped by environmentally friendly rail – all the way from Europe’s far
south to the far north.
1
3004 / 20 FO C U S
1 _ Sweden and weigh around a tonne each. “We
imports almost a are currently transporting around
million tonnes of 2,000 tonnes a week from Italy and
refuse-derived fuel
Germany to the greater Copenhagen
per year.
area, Aalborg and the Malmö metro-
2 _ So far, roughly
politan area,” explains Sandra Pfeiffer,
half of all household key account manager at DB Cargo.
waste in Sweden is The flexibility of single wagonload
used to generate transport is used to avoid having to
energy. store large quantities of waste for a
long time. Every day or two, wagons
2 stuffed full of RDF bales set off on
the long journey to Scandinavia, as far
as 2,500 km away. Two- or four-axle
sliding-wall wagons with up to 60
tonnes of capacity, or open-top con-
tainers, are generally used for trans-
port. DB Cargo also offers additional
rail logistics services such as pre-
carriage, onward carriage and tran-
shipment. Door to door transport from
a single company: that’s important,
Y
because the shipments need to be
traceable — the waste market is tightly
esterday’s waste is today’s power plants that supply district regulated. “Here in Denmark, we
refuse-derived fuel. Every heating for offices, industry and house- think that developing new solutions
year, Italy produces 135 mil- holds. Cement plants in the far north for waste transport is very exciting.
lion tonnes of industrial and also use refuse-derived fuels to save When the goods are transported by
commercial waste and some costs on primary fuels. However, rail, transhipment and onward car-
30 million tonnes of household waste. Scandinavia’s waste alone is not riage by road are always supplied, and
Yet there is a dearth of incineration enough to keep the region heated. we have tailor-made solutions in place
plants in the country. We produce too throughout Denmark that are capable
much rubbish in Germany, too, and RDF on the rails: an offer you of delivering up to 750 tonnes a day,”
right now it cannot all be recycled. can’t refuse says Thomas Vestergaard, Head of
Where to put it all? Rather than simply International Sales Denmark at
dumping the waste, it is far more sus- But here’s the rub: how do you get the DB Cargo.
tainable to unlock the energy it holds. refuse-derived fuel from the centre and “DB Cargo has become an integral
Energy is a valuable commodity in south of Europe to the north? Before, part of the logistics chain for RDFs
Scandinavia’s harsh winters. The the waste travelled by ship or road, from Germany and Italy to Scandinavia.
region has many combined heat and with all the damage to the climate that Given our European single wagonload
entailed. Now, DB Cargo transports network, predictable turnaround
some of the RDFs from Italy and times and close cooperation with our
Germany to Denmark and Sweden by colleagues from the national DB Cargo
environmentally friendly rail. companies in Italy and Denmark, this
set-up gives us a great opportunity to
There’s a system behind it keep up our sustainable growth,”
FAST FACTS explains Marc van der Las, Head of
Trains full of waste do not sound very Waste Logistics at DB Cargo. •
RDF power plants primarily serve to
provide industrial sites with an energy- appealing, but this freight is far less
efficient power source. unpleasant than it might seem to the
uninitiated. First, the refuse-derived
fuels are pretreated in sorting facilities
With refuse-derived fuels that are simple and dried. This is to achieve the right
to produce, RDF power plants attain calorific value, which is important for
average energy efficiency of above 50%, generating energy later on. The waste
leaving conventional waste incineration is compressed into large bales or cubes
plants in the dust. Marc van der Las,
and then wrapped in foil several times. Head of Waste Logistics, DB Cargo
The cubes are 1.20 x 1.20 metres in size marc.van-der-las@deutschebahn.com
31These arguments for rail are as strong as steel
04 / 20 CUSTOMER S & MARKETS
Large numbers of sectional tubes and special profiles are widely used in
the automobile industry, in the generation of renewable energies and in
construction. Innovative processes are used to fashion special profiles
out of raw materials – steel coils that weigh several tonnes. In addition to
being heavy, these coils are also bulky. The Austrian company Welser
Profile relies on DB Cargo to deliver them.
B WELSER PROFILES
önen lies at the edge of Austria. Nevertheless, the proportion
the Ruhr District – in of rail transport at the German site is
Germany’s “steel coun- lower. “Until recently, railways could Operating worldwide as a specialist in the
try”. Domiciled in the not compete with lorries, especially development and production of special
Austrian town of Gresten, over short distances,” Miklas says. To profiles, i.e. preformed steel components
used in machinery, as girder sections for
Welser Profile Deutschland GmbH change that, DB Cargo is working with renewable energy facilities or in the con
also has a site in the district of Unna. Welser Profile to develop new concepts struction industry, Welser Profile delivers
After all, Welser Profile is a leading for increasing inbound volumes. “We its products all over the world.
producer of special profiles and special are optimising journey times, enabling
profile tubes in Europe. To date, the spot services, identifying potential
company has manufactured more than and generating ideas for how to pro- So far, Welser Profile has manufactured
23,000 cross-sections. This also means vide service on the last mile,” says 23,000 profile cross-sections.
that steel, the raw material needed for Dominik Gerland, customer advisor 85% of all inbound transports to the
the profiles, must keep coming. from DB Cargo’s Regional Sales, Austrian location arrive by train.
“Securing an adequate supply of steel explaining the approach. “There’s a lot
The company and DB Cargo have a shared
is crucial for us,” explains Joern Miklas, of potential here. We want to provide goal: 70% climate-friendly rail transport
SCM Manager at Welser Profile. The our customers with arguments for rail worldwide.
raw materials come from sources that are as strong as steel.”
within a radius of about 300 km, and
the bulky and often long profiles are Planning for fluctuations
eventually delivered to customers
worldwide. At its headquarters in This is not always easy: Welser Pro-
Austria, Welser transports 85% of all file’s business can be volatile, depend-
inbound shipments by rail. It’s a mat- ing on the market situation. Routes
ter of principle for the company: “As change and quantities ebb and flow.
we see it, rail combines sustainability “There is more volume at the begin-
with very solid options for loading ning of the week than in the middle.
and unloading. A single car on the rails In the era of the coronavirus we’re
replaces two lorries, so you can handle experiencing now, transports to
large volumes.” deliver goods to the automotive indus-
try have fallen fairly sharply,” reports
More steel on the rails Gerland. “That means we need to
adapt our planning and demonstrate
This is why Welser has its own private a lot of flexibility. This is a challenging
siding in Bönen, just like it does in environment the two companies are
navigating. Step by step, their aim is to
approach their goal of seeing up to 70%
of climate-friendly transport on rail.
Don’t count out long-distance routes
in the future, either,” says Gerland.
_ The steel coils
“Welser Profile also supplies products
for Welser profiles
are delivered in to China. Why shouldn’t rail on the
Dominik Gerland,
Shimmns wagons. Eurasian Corridor be the alternative to Customer Advisor for Regional Sales, DB Cargo
ships someday?” • dominik.gerland@deutschebahn.com
33CUSTOMER S & MARKETS 04 / 20
International
and flexible
Since the autumn of 2019, DB Cargo Logistics
has transported Ford vehicles from Romania all
across Europe. Five national DB Cargo companies
work closely together to make it happen.
E
very week, more than a railway uses special freight wagons.
dozen block trains leave They are often too low to transport
the Ford plant in Craiova, other car manufacturers’ products, but
Romania, for destinations they’re a perfect fit for Ford’s models
up to two thousand kilo- from Craiova. The logistics company
metres away. Located in the Wallachia now has around 400 type 553 wagons
region of southwestern Romania, in its fleet to transport hundreds of
Craiova has a rich history and is an thousands of vehicles a year. “The
important city for European automo- trains to Northern Europe are almost
bile production. In addition to engines, 700 metres long,” says Alexia Flores,
Ford produces the EcoSport and Puma project manager at DB Cargo Logistics.
models there. Some of the vehicles go Flores is responsible for designing and
to Constanța, a city on the Black Sea. implementing the transports and
They are bound for destinations looks after the customer Ford: “Find-
including the Iberian Peninsula. Some
of the trains go to Venice to serve cus-
ing the right routes wasn’t easy.”
DB also succeeded in utilising more
“With its five
tomers in Italy. But most of the wagons
pass through Hungary and Austria
of the wagons’ capacity. DB Cargo
Logistics and its equipment specialists
tracks, the plant
to reach Neuss in Germany, Antwerp were able to work out a solution for in Craiova is
loading each wagon with twelve rather
spectacularly
in Belgium and Vlissingen in the
Netherlands, home of the big Ford hub than the previous eleven vehicles,
for the British market. boosting capacity by around 10%.
On top of this, DB Cargo was able
well-poised
A lot of extras to provide additional services, fully
taking charge of loading the vehicles
for rail.”
“There are a lot of ins and outs to this in addition to transporting them. In THOMAS PRIES
job,” says Thomas Pries, account man- September of last year, DB Cargo Account Manager,
ager for Ford in the finished vehicles Romania began managing finished DB Cargo Logistics
unit at DB Cargo Logistics. For one, the vehicle logistics at the plant. This task
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