A company striving to provide transport services on Europe's rail network has to think and act European. This is the philosophy and strategy behind DB Schenker Rail - the largest European railroad and Europe's highest-volume carrier.

The potential for growth in rail transport lies in Europe: the advantages the rail mode offers over road haulage come into play over long distances and with high-volume flows of goods suitable of being bundled– just the type of transportation needed in a united Europe with a booming exchange of goods.

Setting a new course

The railroads of Europe have emerged from a past of state ownership and have in part maintained the rigid structures of public authorities, structures which do not provide the right framework for further developing rail freight transport.

The solution: standardized processes and a standardized management approach applied across national boundaries, coupled with regional responsibility and a regional identity anchored in the regions where the resources are located and the revenues generated - at DB Schenker Rail Italia, for example. Transport services should be provided from a single source, and with the same standards the customer has come to expect from road haulage: speed, cost-effectiveness and a high level of quality that transcends national boundaries.

Rail transport – Added value for customers and the environment

Transporting with DB Schenker Rail gives our customers added value which the road haulage sector cannot offer: One of DB Schenker Rail's main attributes is its flexibility in dealing with quantities. In rail freight transport there are no truck drivers jostling for the ramp, cars are generally available for loading and unloading for eight hours, which means that pre-departure storage areas are no longer required. The environment also benefits from transport by DB Schenker Rail: Rail transport only causes about a quarter of the emissions of road haulage. It also eases the strain on busy highways and main roads.

Making the most of liberalization in Europe

Further extension of the DB Schenker Rail network is already under consideration. DB Schenker Rail is open to new partnerships. The formula: position regionally - manage centrally – at home in Europe. The aim is to combine the strengths of the different partners to create something new that will benefit customers and secure the future of rail freight transport in Europe.

Another feature of DB Schenker Rail's strategy is cooperation with other rail companies at regional and cross-border levels, especially in single freight car transport, because single freight car transport is more efficient when the system is working at full capacity.

Close cooperation with partners

DB Schenker Rail rounds off its portfolio of services and extends its participation abroad by acquiring stakes in regionally-active railroads like BLS Cargo AG or Rail Traction Company S.p.A. (RTC) or cooperating with other rail companies. Examples are Trenitalia S.p.A. and Ferrovie Nord Cargo S.r.l. Taking systematically advantage of the opportunities arising from the liberalization of the European transport market is the order of the day here.

Innovation in processes and technology paves the way for this internationalization. Examples like the CustomerServiceCenter in Duisburg, equipped with highly advanced IT, show how much potential there is in rail freight transport, just waiting to be tapped. Also, with an investment campaign from 2004 to 2008, DB Schenker Rail is well on track to fundamentally modernizing its rolling stock in line with customer demands. This also includes a fleet of around 500 internationally-compatible electric locomotives, which, together with extensive staff training, should ensure that national boundaries become invisible at DB Schenker Rail.