As of 1 January, the Rail Cargo Group is running exclusively on traction current from renewable energy sources on all TransFER services on which traction is provided in Germany by Rail Cargo Carrier - Germany.

What was rolled out in Austria in 2018 now also applies to Germany: all of the Rail Cargo Group’s TransFER products in Germany are running exclusively on green electricity. This applies to all network TransFER services, such as the TransFER Linz–Duisburg–Wels and the TransFER Vienna–Scandinavia, as well as all other products in Germany for which traction is provided by Rail Cargo Carrier - Germany.

The Rail Cargo Group is continuing to invest in clean energy sources for its traction current. In Austria, all of its freight trains have been running on electricity from renewable energy sources since summer 2018. More countries are to follow suit in the coming years.

Green electricity in Austria and Germany

The green electricity being used for rail operations in Germany is CO2 neutral. It is obtained from partner power stations and is drawn from the public power grid. Its hydrogen source has been certified by TÜV Nord.

In Austria, ÖBB Infrastruktur already runs eight of its own hydropower stations and one solar power station. Together, they generate more than one third of the required traction current. This electricity will be distributed via railway power cables and converted into the relevant overhead line voltage in substations. The overhead lines in Austria then bring the green traction current to the trains that run on ÖBB’s rail network.

(Source: Rail Cargo Group)