Austrian national freight operator ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) has started operations in Belgium. The company acquired a safety certification for the Netherlands, Belgium, and the German border region, after which the first train with RCG traction reached the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.
RCG has been operating in the Netherlands since 2024. However, with the new safety certificate, issued by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), the operator can now also operate its own locomotives in Belgium.
The first RCG-operated train in Belgium departed from Roosendaal, the Netherlands, and arrived in the port of Zeebrugge on 14 October.
International expansion
“With the launch of our operations in Belgium, we are strengthening our position as a leading European rail logistics provider and creating, for the first time, a connection under our own traction to the ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp. This allows us to offer our customers even more services from a single source and advance the sustainable connectivity of Europe”, said Clemens Först, CEO of ÖBB Rail Cargo Group.
In order to support the company’s international expansion in the Benelux region, RCG is looking to expand its workforce: it needs train drivers that speak French, Dutch and German and a new team lead for the Antwerp office.