The Austrian rail freight operator Rail Cargo Group is considering scaling back single wagonload services between Sachsenburg in Carinthia and Sillian in East Tyrol. The service is too labour- and cost-intensive, the ÖBB subsidiary said. Local politicians warn that the move could put 50 to 60 extra trucks on the road every day.
The ÖBB freight subsidiary Rail Cargo Group confirmed that it is looking into reducing single wagonload traffic in the region, the Austrian broadcaster ORF reported on 20 October. ÖBB is examining how rail freight between Carinthia and East Tyrol can be run in an economically and operationally sustainable way in the future, ÖBB spokesperson Herbert Hofer said.
The Lienz region is highly important for Rail Cargo Group’s single wagonload business, but also difficult to operate. “On the one hand, there are challenges with staff availability at the Lienz location. On the other, the single wagonload traffic that dominates there is particularly labour- and resource-intensive”, Hofer explained.
Prices did not keep up
Costs have risen sharply in recent years, while prices for customers were not adjusted accordingly, Hofer added. ÖBB is therefore looking at ways to make production more efficient. For example, it could do this by bundling flows or adapting the service to lower costs and, where possible, staffing needs. Prices would then be adjusted and talks held with customers. In other words, the options under review range from a leaner service to higher prices. ÖBB has not announced a full withdrawal from the region.
The financial pressure is evident, however. Rail Cargo Group posted an Earnings Before Taxes (EBT) loss of €135.5 million last year. Staff have also criticised that resources going into the loss-making single wagonload segment are missing elsewhere, ORF reported. Single wagonload is expensive because each wagon has to be collected from the shipper and delivered separately to the receiver.
Fears of a shift to road
Regional politicians and business representatives in Carinthia and Tyrol criticised the plans, warning of extra truck traffic at very short notice. Ending the service would put 50 to 60 additional trucks on the road each day, Lienz Mayor Elisabeth Blanik said. Affected companies include the Theurl timber plant in Steinfeld and possibly the Hasslacher Group in Sachsenburg, both in Upper Carinthia.
Firms would have to reorganise their logistics, arrange extra truck transport and possibly make new investments, the Austrian Economic Chamber warned. Companies cannot change their entire logistics from one day to the next, explained a representative.
The region of Tyrol has subsidised single wagonload traffic since 2024. In Carinthia, first talks between the regional government and ÖBB are underway at staff level, the office of Carinthian transport councillor Sebastian Schuschnig said. Should ÖBB withdraw from single wagonload altogether, the goods would have to move entirely by truck. For Carinthia as a whole, that would mean an estimated 200,000 truck journeys per year. The review comes as Austria is also reshaping the governance of Rail Cargo Group.