Schenker to spend US$528 million on railcars, engines

DB SCHENKER RAIL, the Deutsche Bahn intermodal operator, plans to invest EUR410 million (US$528.2 million) chiefly in new freight cars and locomotives throughout Europe this year.

"This is a record amount which we plan to invest at exactly those points where there is increasing customer demand for our transport services and where modern equipment is required," said Karl-Friedrich Rausch, member of the management board of DB Mobility Logistics AG, responsible for transport and logistics.

Fleet modernisation concentrates on freight cars for the coal and steel sector and for the chemicals and automotive industries.

Within the total to be invested, EUR190 million will be spent on railcars and repairing the existing fleet. A further EUR167 million will be invested in locomotives with remaining funds spread between various facilities and IT equipment.

By the end of the year, DB Schenker Rail will have purchased 1,472 new freight cars and 71 new locomotives, including 700 cars specially for coal and steel transports.

During the first half of 2010, DB Schenker Rail moved 203 million tons of cargo, up 40.1 per cent year on year. Traffic performance rose by 8.3 billion to 52.6 billion ton-kilometres, an increase of 18.8 per cent.
(Source:www.schednet.com)