Building the Future of Rail Freight: Highlights from the 15th VPI Symposium in Hamburg

Today, January 14, 2025, the 15th VPI Symposium brought together leading experts, stakeholders, and policymakers in the rail freight sector to discuss current developments, innovations, and challenges in creating a sustainable and competitive rail freight system.

Malte Lawrenz, Chairman of VPI, opened the symposium by outlining the pressing need for innovative solutions and regulatory frameworks to bolster rail freight's role in Europe’s transportation mix. In his keynote, Lawrenz addressed the current state of rail freight policy, pointing out the importance of collaboration between industry and policymakers to achieve sustainable growth.

Thomas Dittmann from Die Güterbahnen/NEE provided an in-depth look at DB InfraGo’s ambitious plans for a comprehensive overhaul of Germany's rail infrastructure. His presentation, titled The Generalsanierung and the Dream of a High-Performance Network, highlighted key initiatives to modernize the network and increase capacity.

Ludolf Kerkeling, representing HVLE, turned the spotlight on single wagonload traffic, addressing its competitiveness and the potential for subsidies. He pointed out the economic hurdles faced by operators and the need for targeted financial support to maintain this essential service for Europe’s industries.

During a panel discussion that followed, Kerkeling joined Axel Marschall (Infront) and Carsten Schiering (TWA) to explore the interconnected issues of track access charges, single wagonload operations, and overall competitiveness. Moderated by Malte Lawrenz, the discussion provided actionable insights and called for unified efforts to address these challenges.

Innovations Shaping the Rail Freight Industry

The afternoon sessions shifted focus to technological advancements and emerging trends. Axel Marschall spoke about developments in the automotive sector, mentioninng the growing role of rail freight in supporting the industry's sustainability goals.

One of the day’s standout presentations came from Stefan Kirch (Nevomo) and Jonas Tesch (HBB/Captrain DE), who introduced the MagRail system. This innovative hybrid technology combines traditional rail with magnetic levitation to enhance efficiency and capacity. Kirch outlined real-world business cases, demonstrating how MagRail could revolutionize freight operations across Europe.

Progress on Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC)

Dr. Jens Engelmann (railiable) and Heiko Radke (VPI) provided a comprehensive update on the DACFIT project, showcasing the progress in testing and implementation of Digital Automatic Couplers. Their report focused on the potential of DAC to automate and optimize rail freight operations, reduce manual interventions, and enhance overall efficiency. 

The symposium concluded with a networking session, allowing participants to exchange ideas and explore potential collaborations.

Source: RAILTARGET; VPI