New freight railcars in service – Schütz strengthens eco-friendly inter-company logistics

Since the company was founded, Schütz has been processing steel in its own plant and manufacturing the steel components for the products of the Packaging Systems and Energy Systems divisions. To keep pace with the company’s needs, the Steel Service Center in Siershahn has recently been substantially expanded and equipped with the latest generation of machinery for slitting and cutting flat steel. As a result, inter-company transportation is set to increase significantly. The company’s own high-performance rail logistics system is the ideal solution, ensuring the efficient internal supply of raw materials: coils processed in Siershahn are delivered just-in-time directly by freight railcars to the production facility in Selters.

Better for the environment, traffic and roads

The company’s own locomotives pull the freight cars along the approximately nine-kilometer section. It is the first time the company has used this type of railcar. The models have an innovative design where the undercarriage and the carriage are separate. This means that as many as three coils with a total weight of 70 tons can be loaded on to one railcar, thus providing even greater benefits for the environment. By choosing this method of transportation, Schütz is avoiding 47 truck journeys per day. Lined up, the total length of these trucks, which would be driving along the roads every day, would be approximately 800 meters. Shifting from road to rail not only saves fuel and reduces CO₂ emissions, it also eases pressure on the local road network and significantly reduces the risk of traffic congestion. Another important factor is that having fewer heavily loaded trucks driving on the roads helps to protect road surfaces.

The railcars are equipped with the so-called whisper brakes for freight cars that will be mandatory from 2020, and the advanced design of the railcars also makes them much quieter when they pass by.

Transport by rail combines ecological and economic advantages. Wherever possible, Schütz has always relied on rail. This has allowed the company to shift more than 30,000 truckloads off the road every year, saving tens of thousands of tons of CO₂ and benefitting both the environment and the region equally.

In order to further increase the benefits and cost-effectiveness of this rail section, Schütz will be permitting other companies to pass through the Selters site in Altenkirchen, both towards Altenkirchen and on the return journey. The demand is there, and inquiries have already been received.