VTG to handle non-cranable semi-trailers in Spain from September
German rolling stock company VTG is introducing 200 new T4000 pocket wagons suitable for the Iberian gauge, and the first batch will be delivered in September. These wagons will be equipped with VEGA’s roadrailLink (r2L) system to handle non-cranable trailers.
The new wagons, as Carlos Omaña, Director of Operations for VTG in Spain, said, aim at improving international rail transport from Spain. Up until now, international services are possible only through tracks equipped with standard gauge such as high-speed lines. As Omaña pointed out in an interview with El Mercantil on 6 June, connections would prioritise facilities where both gauges are present. This way, the goods can travel from Spain via France on the TEN-T Mediterranean and Atlantic Corridors.
Image: © Tatrawagonka
VTG’s projects in Spain
This VTG’s initiative is part of a collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda (MITMA) launched in October 2022 to boost the shift from road to rail. Back then, the German company received a grant of 37,7 million euros from MITMA. These funds will cover 50 per cent of the total project, with the other half being charged to VTG.
Other than for the 200 new T4000 wagons and the r2L platforms, the money was used to acquire 150 new 90-foot and 40 new 80-foot wagons. These wagons will be gradually introduced on the Spanish railways, with a pace of 20 to 30 per month, as Omaña highlighted.
Finally, VTG is also bringing to Spain the SWS PowerBox, an autonomous electricity supply system for controlled temperature goods. The r2L platforms will paired with the new T4000 pocket wagons for Iberian gauge but also the existing T3000 for standard gauges. The SWS PowerBox, on the other hand, is planned to be placed on the 80- and 90-foot wagons.
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