The CLIP Rail Mega Hub Intermodal in Swarzędz has carried out the transshipment of semi-trailers using the Lohr Railway System station. This is the first installation of its kind not only in Poland but also in any European country east of the Bettembourg – Orbassano near Turin axis.
The Lohr Railway System is a modern, patented, and field-proven technology that allows for the horizontal loading of standard road semi-trailers onto railway wagons without the need for a crane. It has been used in intermodal transport for over a dozen years, mainly between France and Italy. Now, it is also available in Poland. For proper operation, it requires the use of specialized wagons equipped with a rotating platform onto which a tractor with a semi-trailer drives. Once properly positioned, the vehicle combination is disconnected, and the platform with the semi-trailer rotates and aligns parallel to the wagon’s axis. Importantly, the system enables the loading of semi-trailers that, due to their structural parameters, cannot be lifted vertically using a crane (reachstacker) or gantry crane. Semi-trailers of this type still constitute the vast majority of those operated by road hauliers across Europe.
The advantages of the Lohr Railway system primarily include:
– short loading and unloading times,
– the ability to load/unload multiple wagons simultaneously,
– no need for additional transshipment equipment.
The launch of the innovative Lohr Railway system is another step in the modernization of the CLIP Rail Mega Hub Intermodal; a step that has a significant impact on the development of the entire intermodal transport sector. Thanks to it, CLIP Intermodal Sp. z o.o. will expand the loading capacity of the train to Luxembourg, creating an offer also for customers who only have standard semi-trailers in their fleet. The LOHR station serves the CFL Luxembourg – CLIP Swarzędz – CFL Luxembourg connection. Ultimately, the connection is intended to operate 6 times a week using 12 wagons carrying 24 semi-trailers. From an environmental protection perspective, this means a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere compared to road transport. One train loaded with 24 semi-trailers on the Bettembourg – Swarzędz – Bettembourg route represents a reduction in CO2 emissions by approximately 260 tons; 6 trains per week mean a reduction in CO2 emissions by 1560 tons; 24 trains per month mean a reduction in the carbon footprint by 6240 tons!
In the future, it will be possible to route trains to other European destinations equipped with the Lohr Railway System, such as Calais and Barcelona. Connecting Swarzędz with Luxembourg and further with Spain will enable the creation of one of the longest intermodal routes in all of Europe. Due to both economic calculations and ecological aspects, intermodal transport is becoming an accelerator for the development of European economies and is significantly shaping the future of our continent.
Source: Clip Group