ÖBB Rail Cargo Group Nears Full Operations After Severe Flood Disruptions

ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG), the freight subsidiary of ÖBB, is close to restoring full operations following significant disruptions caused by September’s catastrophic floods.

As of October 15, RCG has been operating at least 85% of its regular volume from Tuesday to Friday, reaching up to 100% capacity on Mondays, weekends, and during night hours. The company anticipates reaching nearly full operational capacity on the new Meidling to Tullnerfeld route by November 4, with unrestricted services set to resume by December 15.

The September floods, described as a flood of the century, caused extensive damage to European rail infrastructure and impacted supply chains across multiple countries, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Italy, and Austria. "The flood of the century brought entire supply chains to a halt overnight. Despite this, we managed to ensure supply security for the industry," said Clemens Först, RCG’s management board spokesperson. He thanked the customers for their patience and cooperation during this challenging period, noting that the crisis emphasized the systemic importance of rail freight.

In response to the damage, RCG implemented alternative routing strategies to keep goods moving. Key adjustments included rerouting household appliances from Turkey to Germany through Slovenia and Croatia instead of Hungary, redirecting raw materials from Poland through Slovakia instead of the Czech Republic, and diverting sugar beet transports on the Western route via Krems using diesel locomotives.

Source: RCG