Expensive Deutsche Bahn Debacle

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To 7. October is expected to remain the most important European North-South axis because of the Track interruption in Rastatt locked. Travelers are upset about delays, transport companies speak of a disaster.

At the construction site of the rail tunnel, Rastatt, Germany: 150 meters and are filled with concrete

Hundreds of thousands of tons of freight and thousands of passengers – all with the railway from Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Belgium or the UK is transported through Switzerland to Italy and southern Europe, would have to actually be on the tracks-eye of the needle from Rastatt to Basel. However, the rails in Rastatt are broken, because a 4,000-Meter-long Tunnel under the since 1855 operating range is collapsed. Between two to three hundred trains a day that can’t drive anymore. Gone with the train noise in the stroke of seven minutes.

Passengers must wait a long time

It is not simply: “an hour delay in anything is hardly possible,” says Karl-Peter Naumann, a spokesman for the passenger Association Pro Bahn, on demand of the DW. For travelers visiting Europe, through Germany, Naumann can find: Overall, the emergency situation was for train Passengers reasonably handle. A route Seemed to be via Ulm to Friedrichshafen an Alternative to the car would be still. Also the cost of course of time. The deutsche Bahn for travelers replacement buses on shorter routes in and around Rastatt. “So to some extent,” says Naumann. You’ll be so at least in all directions.

“A delay of one hour anything goes”: The construction site bothers a lot of travelers

The General German automobile Club ADAC reported that it had not seemed to be due to the relocation of the traffic on the road for major traffic jams. But what happens if in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg at the beginning of September the summer holidays come to an end? Transport experts look forward also with great concern what to tell the transport company.

“Country” in the case of rail-transport companies

Because of the transport of goods through Switzerland on the rails is the fastest and cheapest, are mainly Swiss transport companies are involved.”We need fifteen to twenty thousand trucks and, once again, so many drivers, in order to replace what we can in the moment, not on the Rail to Italy and the rest of southern Europe to transport,” says Irmtraud Tonndorf, Director of communications of the Swiss Container company Hupac. On the Euro exactly, you could not make still no information on the amount of damages, because it was internally to Expect. All of the employees would be working around the clock to find a solution. So Tonndorf looking for other Numbers to make imaginable what is the meaning of the Rastatt site.

“We have huge losses of 50 to 60 percent of our sales”: The Container company Hupac

“We were initially only one-tenth of our trains are now only 30 to 35 percent of the volume that we could go.” Had sought at least 50 per cent. “We have huge losses of 50 to 60 percent of our sales.” The competition groaning. Stefanie Burri in BLS Cargo in Bern, speaks of a “disaster”. Contago-managing Director Daniel Kaufmann in Basel noted that all alternate possibilities of immense additional costs. Rail cars are the fees cost. Additional loading terminal cranes would need to be installed only once. Redirection routes are at least twenty percent more expensive.

Supply shortages – The European Dimension

Perishable goods such as milk for production of cheese or wine grapes of Italy must be transported quickly. A longer interim storage until the beginning of October to keep the transport companies for pure Illusion. In addition to food and medicines for safety reasons, many chemicals are transported by rail. “If the raw materials, as well as parts for the automotive industry can not be delivered, loss of production, on the Hand,” says Tonndorf of Hupac. Jobs would be threatened if the current schedule in Rastatt for the rail repairs could not be met. The Minister of transport of Baden-württemberg Winfried Hermann. He complained to the newspaper “Mannheimer Morgen”, that there was no real contingency plan.

“Production losses”:the Swiss Container company Hupac

As a large Problem, all of the transport operators to describe the success of Switzerland, to relocate the freight traffic from road to Rail. The have worked so well that 70 percent of the goods transported through the Alps now with the railway. “40 to 50 percent of the goods from Northern Europe to Italy and the further South cannot be handled currently via Switzerland,” confirms Irmtraud Tonndorf.

Why Alternatives do not work

Experts believe that Alternatives such as trucks, ships, or other migration routes are not working well. Example of truck: The number of required trucks is not available. Although there were some offers from the transport companies, to help rail transport companies with additional trucks. “The truck owners want to complete but are mostly One – or multi-year contracts,” says Tonndorf in the case of Hupac. Stefanie Burri in BLS Cargo. The fear was that customers were at such long-term contracts, or longer to the railway transport.

Example ships: although They have transported a small part of the cargo by ship and rail, but this requires the appropriate boxes. You need maritime, so stackable Container, explain to the transport company. Chris Engeler, Panalpina is responsible for the ocean freight, the Charter prices are higher, and customers would have to pay the price surcharges on the Container.

Alternative Ship? The could be costly, experts believe

Example, other migration routes: France would be a conceivable Alternative. There is only train drivers to drive that are perfectly bilingual, but may not. It will be verified. In addition, only who has a secure knowledge of the Track. Of these drivers, there are only a limited number, which is currently fully booked. In Austria, there are many sections that are not electrified. Without overhead lines, so in addition diesel locomotives are needed. This is also a Problem. Alternate routes there are many almost impassable sites. Add to this: On many sections of the track have never driven a freight train, but only passenger trains. Unresolved safety questions.

Hope for compensation

Irmtraud Tonndorf and many of their Cargo-colleagues are confident that there will be a compensation “under European direction”. All partners need to consider this to the table and together, as a compensation could look like. The Deutsche Bahn (DB) did not want to take initially, but Regress. “We see the full support of DB – Netz and DB-Cargo, to make it all possible.” In a landslide in 2012, in Switzerland’s Gurtnellen, there have been financial support. Such assistance of the Association of German transport calls now. It had to be with a single. “Europe has to arrive at the track.”