COMPACTTERMINAL ENABLES RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC EXPANSION THROUGH THE CARGODROME LOGISTICS CENTRE IN SWITZERLAND.

Cargodrome at Wiler, near Berne, in Switzerland is the first working example of the advanced Compactterminal modular design of intermodal terminal available from Intermodal Logistics. In its initial year of operation, Regionalverkehr Mittelland (RM AG) moved over 10'000 ‘Crossrail’ container and swap body shipments on more than 900 international trains of combined unaccompanied traffic between Wiler, Domodossola (Italy) and Duisburg (Germany). Up to 10,000 truck movements between the Ruhr district and northern Italy have been shifted from road to rail with consequent environmental and service benefits.

The Cargodrome Intermodal Terminal and Logistics Centre at Wiler has used the Compactterminal design based on fast, energy efficient overhead crane technology very successfully since its opening in January 2004. The Cargodrome site is manned by 7 staff; handled 14,500 lifts, 99% of which were swap body transfers; and moved 5,126 tonnes of cross-docked traffic during the build-up of volumes throughout its first year of operation. The related Domodossola facility, also manned by 7 staff, completed 7,500 lifts during the same period. The speed, flexibility and economics of the Compactterminal design have proved their worth as the number of lifts has increased steadily according to plan. With capacity in hand to cope with future traffic through the second Loetschberg tunnel, the unique features of the Compactterminal at Cargodrome remain important components of the intermodal terminal’s success.

From January 2004, rail company RM AG began offering a range of transport and logistics’ services for swap bodies and ISO containers on these routes. The ‘Crossrail/Cargodrome’ services have been well received by the shipping community. Already over 150 customers throughout Europe have entrusted ‘Crossrail/Cargodrome’ with their door to door service for this north - south traffic route via the new Compactterminal facility. Along with 60 rail cars and 330 swap bodies, five RM locomotives are used to connect Wiler through the existing Loetschberg and Simplon tunnels to Domodossola. In addition, a number of leased multi-system locomotives is used for direct services into Germany.

During 240 operating days, 955 trains were handled through the terminal carrying over 10'000 shipments. At these traffic levels ‘Crossrail/Cargodrome’ still has some capacity and additional rail services began this year to Marl and Doerpen in Germany. RM AG has ambitious plans to provide east – west links across Switzerland in addition to their existing north – south European rail freight services and to take more freight from road to rail, plans in which the high efficiency of the Compactterminal will play a vital supporting role.

RM Managing Director, Otmar Halfmann commented, “The high performance, low energy consumption and operational reliability of the Compactterminal has enabled us to provide an excellent service to our customers and to expand our rail freight services this year without increased terminal resources at Cargodrome. In addition the very quiet operation of the Compactterminal‘s overhead crane has enabled us to be a good neighbour to our local community.”

Intermodal Logistics is jointly owned by Tuchschmid Constructa AG Constructa AG and Directors of Bisham Consulting, the UK Transport and Supply Chain Consultancy. The joint venture combines excellence in intermodal design and manufacture with practical operational and project management experience in supply chains.

ENDS