Interview with Albert Counet, General Manager of B-Cargo
B-Cargo is the state-owned Belgian rail freight operator and subsidiary of B-Rail or SNCB - Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges.
By B-Cargo the volumes transported on rail have been stabilized for the last 2-3 years. B-Cargo yearly transports about 60 million tons of goods.
Changes within the industry, trade models and merges have had an influence on the development in transported volumes which is also the reason why the increase in the Intermodal solutions is growing much faster than in the conventional area.
By B-Cargo the Intermodal volumes have had the following increase:
1980: 3.5 million tons
1990: 7.0 million tons
2000: 14.0 million tons
of which 2/3 is cross border traffic.
More than 50% of the cross border traffic is transported via the axles France; Italy through Luxembourg, but also the volumes to Germany and through Germany to Italy is an important route, which makes up about 30% of the traffic.
The volumes to be transported are increasing and in defiance of the competition between the big ports in Belgium and Holland there is no doubt that all ports can expect tremendous increases in volumes within a few years.
This expected development has demanded a need for rethinking considering efficiency, trade perspective and transport reliability.
B-Cargo has ordered 40 multi locomotives with 4 different power and signal systems, and has an option for further 30 locomotives. B-Cargo expects that these locomotives are going to play an obvious role in the cross border traffic in cooperation with other railways in the settlement of the traction in the so called corridors cross the European borders.
To the question, will B-Cargo get the increase in volumes as described in the white paper, Mr Counet answered that undoubtedly there will be increases in rail, but at the same time 2 other points will influent the development.
- the new comers
- the demands in the rail companies to be profitable
There will be new rail companies born on new trade perspectives but most serious are the demands to the rail companies of being profitable, which can maybe result in a loss of customers and which again may influent the development by rail.
A third and important point is the subsidy in the railway business. All over Europe there are different types of subvention for the Intermodal traffic based on decision made by the national governments. To let the Intermodal freight grow, there is a need for a common European decision on the topic of subvention. To this subject B-Cargo has a current discussion with the European Commission.
