Innovative concept looks to combine truck and rail transport

By Jennifer Perry

Their ‘Flexiwaggon’ is a freight wagon that transports trucks, semitrailers, cars and other vehicles such as military tanks on rail.
“The ease of loading and unloading a truck from a Flexiwaggon is unique and exceptional - no new terminals are required and no or very little investment is required,” Celtec Rail’s chief executive Anders Nyholm told Rail Express.
“The truck driver only has to drive on and off the wagon without reversing on either side of the track, as long as there is approximately eight meters in width of hard surface as the road base.
“Parallel tracks can be used simultaneously.”
The Flexiwaggon can reach a potential speed of 160kph which enables the same schedule with the same priority as a passenger train in Europe and can be operated in a bus stop operation.
Nyholm said that by using the Flexiwaggon, railway operators will be able to increase their share of the goods market while truck companies will be able to lower their costs of fuel, wear and tear and service and maintenance.
“Large food and retail chains can also cut transport costs and optimise their logistics and channeling strategies,” Nyholm said.
According to research conducted by Celtec Rail that is based on information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), articulated or heavy rigid trucks that are transported on Flexiwaggons on the long distance haulage from Adelaide to Perth (3721 kilometres), can reduce their fuel cost by half, as well as decrease insurance and maintenance costs due to less wear and tear, and road accidents.
Similar research has been conducted in Sweden where findings show that by using the Flexiwaggon, European railway operators could increase their profit by €9 per kilometer.
One of the largest supermarket chains in Sweden, ICA, will implement the Flexiwaggon in their distribution from 2010. ICA has modified their total distribution network, calculating a 53 per cent reduction in their distribution costs, excluding environmental and social costs, by using the Flexiwaggon concept.
By centralising their warehousing, ICA will save 7,000 m3 of fuel and19,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
IKEA Sweden, who collaborates closely with Green Cargo (Sweden’s largest rail freight operator), will also use the Flexiwaggon as their new way to distribute products throughout Scandinavia.
“The Flexiwaggon will enable the truck and rail industry to cooperate efficiently rather than in competition and will greatly decrease carbon emissions, producing immense advantages for the public economy,” Nyholm said.
“According to the CRC for Rail Innovation the economic and social costs to Australia of current transport patterns are enormous.
“The social costs arising from transport are estimated at $52 billion or 5.6 per cent of GDP in Australia in 2005, excluding congestions costs.
“These social costs are mainly due to road transport, while rail transport only contributes nine per cent.
“The implementation of the Flexiwaggon in Australia will greatly benefit the Australian transport industry and our environment.”

For more information on the Flexiwaggon contact Celtec Rail on:
03 9827 5755