A new solution to transport oversized cargo on regular intermodal trains

The new solution enables oversized units, that previously required more complex transport planning, to be moved on scheduled intermodal services. The service marks a significant step forward in making rail a more flexible and scalable option for machinery and other out-of-gauge cargo moving between Italy, Germany and Northern Europe.

 

TX Logistik currently operates the Rostock–Verona route with eight weekly round trips, offering customers fast and flexible rail connections between Italy and Germany, with onward options to Scandinavia. In the first shipment, the two aerial work platforms were delivered for a Van der Vlist customer in central Sweden. After arrival in Rostock, the units continued by ferry to Trelleborg and then by truck to their final destination.

 

“This solution opens up new opportunities for customers seeking a more flexible and dependable way to transport oversized cargo by rail,” said Sabrina De Filippis, CEO at FS Logistix. “By combining the technical solutions developed by TX Logistik and FS Logistix with Van der Vlist’s expertise in heavy and special transport, we are able to offer customers robust, scalable rail solutions that simplify planning while ensuring high operational reliability across international corridors.”

 

Van der Vlist’s newly designed and recently patented bolster system, which can be seamlessly integrated into standard piggyback operations, is being used to load the oversized cargo. This is a special rail platform on which large-scale machinery such as excavators, aerial platforms or agricultural equipment – which do not fit into containers – are lashed down and secured for loading onto the wagon. “With this innovative system, we have reached another milestone for our rail solutions,” says Martin van Dam, Managing Director of Van der Vlist Logistics.

 

The approval to transport oversized cargo using the so-called large intermodal profile TX Logistik received in close coordination with DB InfraGo. This means freight up to 2,990 millimetres wide can now be transported normally on a regular intermodal train within the P400 loading gauge. Unlike special train solutions, this approach ensures higher reliability, as trains can be easily rerouted in case of disruptions without requiring new route authorisations.

 

The next phase of the project will be to expand the service with onward rail transport in Sweden using trains operated by TX Logistik AB, one of the leading providers of intermodal rail freight services in the Swedish market. The technical feasibility of this option has already been confirmed. Beyond Sweden, TX Logistik and Van der Vlist are also planning further joint connections to extend this rail solution to additional corridors.