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FeedsHome: June / July 2012 › Logistical steps to a sustainable future
Logistical steps to a sustainable future
04/07/2012 | Channel: Freight
In order to increase the scope of its rail freight and logistics solutions, TX Logistik AB has added three new key connections to its portfolio
The volume of international freight shipments continues to grow, and in the efforts to find sustainable and economically viable ways of transporting cargo, rail has been at the forefront. Established in 1999, TX Logistik was formed by five logistics industry professionals, combining this expertise with traditional railway know-how. With the face of European rail traffic also changing in the wake of national frontiers waning through the use of multi-system locomotives, TX Logistik has become a leader in the rail freight and logistics field.
Since its foundation, TX Logistik’s core focus has been to improve international rail
transportation in Europe. Based in Germany, TX Logistik has expanded its reach over the years, first with cross-border transports to Italy and the Netherlands in 2003, followed by licences in Austria and Switzerland a year later, and in 2005 commencement of traffic in Sweden. Although TX Logistik is widely independent in terms of its corporate structure, in 2005 Trenitalia’s placement of capital investment into the business saw it become a majority shareholder.
Moving forward
Thomas Andersson, managing director of TX Logistik AB in Sweden, highlights how the business is moving forward: “We’ve gained a licence to operate in Norway, which we now do on a regular basis both in the timber and intermodal industry. We’re also very close to securing a licence in Denmark so that we can operate our own trains there as well.
“Notably we have since started two new train connections for the timber industry, and three new routes in the intermodal industry. This includes a line running between Halden in Norway and Verona in Italy, which currently operates once a week but from September this year will ramp up to two departures a week. Then we have a connection from Malmö to Stockholm in Sweden which runs five times a week.”
TX Logistik AB’s new lines from Malmö to Stockholm, and from Halmstad to Umeå are 143also notable as providing a mixture of the company’s TXCargoStar offering, and new business line in the transportation of new cars. These cars are transported in purpose-built wagons, alongside CargoStar carriages on the same trains. CargoStar continues to offer an effective solution for forwarding agents and logistics suppliers by bundling together the transport of a number of clients’ cargo on the same routes. This service is divided into four main areas covering intermodal, maritime, freight, and automotive cargoes, and includes a partner web-based order management system.
These new connections have been a major contributing factor to the increase in revenue that TX Logistik AB has seen over the last two years. This is in addition to the growth in volumes on existing trains by some customers. As such, in the last two years TX Logistics AB’s revenue has grown by almost 100 per cent from 128 million Swedish Krona (SEK), or €14 million, to a forecast of around 210 million SEK (€23 million) for 2012.
“We have also benefited by changes in the market in terms of our competition,” notes Thomas. “In particular a dominant player on the Swedish market for the intermodal industry actually pulled out of this marketplace having suffered some losses. Likewise, two other companies in the timber industry have also left the market, which although reflects the difficulty some are having in running a profitable business, has actually allowed us to absorb some of the business left behind and to open new lines.”
Optimise transit times
Regardless of the route in question, TX Logistik AB operates a fleet of modern multi-system locomotives, which have the capabilities to run over borders and switch to the local power and safety systems. This serves to optimise transit times, and create a tighter, and more rapid, reliable and transparent transport chain. This fleet, as well as the company’s international licences enable it to link together fragmented routes into effective long-range connections – all from a single source.
It also means TX Logistik AB is well placed to meet individual customer demands through industry-pecific solutions, and modern freight concepts. Having built a reputation as a leader in European train logistics, Thomas concludes with how TX Logisitik AB believes rail is still a vital facilitator to the modern logistics and freight industries: “Given the increase in fuel prices and the ongoing environmental debate we see rail as a mode of transport for the future. Within this we will still remain a cargo transporting company only, with no development into the passenger side. What we do see is the possibility to increase to more intermodal lines, particularly in the north of Sweden, as well as move to a higher frequency of departures on some key lines in response to market demand.”
Since its foundation, TX Logistik’s core focus has been to improve international rail
transportation in Europe. Based in Germany, TX Logistik has expanded its reach over the years, first with cross-border transports to Italy and the Netherlands in 2003, followed by licences in Austria and Switzerland a year later, and in 2005 commencement of traffic in Sweden. Although TX Logistik is widely independent in terms of its corporate structure, in 2005 Trenitalia’s placement of capital investment into the business saw it become a majority shareholder.
Moving forward
Thomas Andersson, managing director of TX Logistik AB in Sweden, highlights how the business is moving forward: “We’ve gained a licence to operate in Norway, which we now do on a regular basis both in the timber and intermodal industry. We’re also very close to securing a licence in Denmark so that we can operate our own trains there as well.
“Notably we have since started two new train connections for the timber industry, and three new routes in the intermodal industry. This includes a line running between Halden in Norway and Verona in Italy, which currently operates once a week but from September this year will ramp up to two departures a week. Then we have a connection from Malmö to Stockholm in Sweden which runs five times a week.”
TX Logistik AB’s new lines from Malmö to Stockholm, and from Halmstad to Umeå are 143also notable as providing a mixture of the company’s TXCargoStar offering, and new business line in the transportation of new cars. These cars are transported in purpose-built wagons, alongside CargoStar carriages on the same trains. CargoStar continues to offer an effective solution for forwarding agents and logistics suppliers by bundling together the transport of a number of clients’ cargo on the same routes. This service is divided into four main areas covering intermodal, maritime, freight, and automotive cargoes, and includes a partner web-based order management system.
These new connections have been a major contributing factor to the increase in revenue that TX Logistik AB has seen over the last two years. This is in addition to the growth in volumes on existing trains by some customers. As such, in the last two years TX Logistics AB’s revenue has grown by almost 100 per cent from 128 million Swedish Krona (SEK), or €14 million, to a forecast of around 210 million SEK (€23 million) for 2012.
“We have also benefited by changes in the market in terms of our competition,” notes Thomas. “In particular a dominant player on the Swedish market for the intermodal industry actually pulled out of this marketplace having suffered some losses. Likewise, two other companies in the timber industry have also left the market, which although reflects the difficulty some are having in running a profitable business, has actually allowed us to absorb some of the business left behind and to open new lines.”
Optimise transit times
Regardless of the route in question, TX Logistik AB operates a fleet of modern multi-system locomotives, which have the capabilities to run over borders and switch to the local power and safety systems. This serves to optimise transit times, and create a tighter, and more rapid, reliable and transparent transport chain. This fleet, as well as the company’s international licences enable it to link together fragmented routes into effective long-range connections – all from a single source.
It also means TX Logistik AB is well placed to meet individual customer demands through industry-pecific solutions, and modern freight concepts. Having built a reputation as a leader in European train logistics, Thomas concludes with how TX Logisitik AB believes rail is still a vital facilitator to the modern logistics and freight industries: “Given the increase in fuel prices and the ongoing environmental debate we see rail as a mode of transport for the future. Within this we will still remain a cargo transporting company only, with no development into the passenger side. What we do see is the possibility to increase to more intermodal lines, particularly in the north of Sweden, as well as move to a higher frequency of departures on some key lines in response to market demand.”
