In Ukraine, logisticians are working to launch two new trailer-on-flatcar routes. One of them is expected to run from the Mostyska-2 railway station to the industrial zone in Duisburg, Germany, where the world's largest inland river port is located.
Roman Ostroverkh, director of the Road Freight Department of the global transport and logistics company DSV, announced this at the Ukrainian Logistics Forum 2024: Reformatting, Recovery, Development, and Resilience, the CFTS correspondent reports.
The Duisburg-bound service is expected to operate twice a week with a transit time of about three days. Another project targets Poland, as it is considered one of the hottest routes because of frequent highway blockades.
Currently, the Ukrainian Railways joint-stock company (Ukrzaliznytsia) is trying to launch the Slawkow - Kyiv - Slawkow route. They plan to use a broad gauge on this route.
The logistics company represented by Ostroverkh has experience in carrying out test shipments on the current trailer-on-flatcar route that connects Ukraine with Europe at the Mostyska-2 station, where European standard-gauge railway tracks end. The company intends to further increase traffic in this direction.
"It is better to transport goods across Europe by rail than by road. This is because of toll roads, environmental impact, and fuel costs," Ostroverkh said.
According to him, trailer-on-flatcar services currently offer a viable alternative to traditional road freight.
As with transportation by road, a semi-trailer is delivered to a customer, and the consignee receives the semi-trailer with the same cargo for unloading. This semi-trailer can be transported by road or rail.
In Europe, this mode of transportation is used very actively on long routes that involve crossing mountainous terrain. Semi-trailers are placed on a low-floor flatcar with a recessed floor. Two or three such trailers can be placed on one flatcar.
