VTG, one of Europe’s leaders in the wagon leasing industry, is expanding its fleets in Spain and the United Kingdom. VTG Spain will provide 399 wagons for intermodal operations, while VTG Rail UK deployed the first of 62 iWagons for Breedon Group.
For the Spanish deal, VTG, will introduce 80 and 90-foot wagons designed for all types of container as well as some T4000 wagons (also known as pocket wagons), suitable for rail highway services. The pocket wagons are equipped with r2L baskets, developed by Vega and VTG to allow the transport of all semi-trailers.
The new wagons for rail highway services are part of an initiative co-financed with EU funds, more specifically the Next Generation EU scheme. VTG received a total of 37 million euros for a total investment of 75 million euros, according to Spanish sector association Faprove. VTG already provides the wagons for the rail transport of semi-trailers between Valencia and Madrid, a service which will be soon extended to Portugal.
VTG’s iWagons in the UK
For the deal in the UK, the wagon lessor delivered the first 18 iWagons to construction company Breedon. The units are JPA powder tank wagons, suitable for the transport of fine powders such as cement. The remaining 44 items will be delivered over the next 12 months, VTG said.
They will be equipped with the Knorr-Bremse FreightControl Sentinel system, developed by Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems. The device which allows for the real-time monitoring of various aspects of a wagon’s journey. The partnership between VTG and Knorr-Bremse entails VTG’s purchase of 2,000 wagon sets of FreightControl Sentinel technology by the end of 2029.