The pilot in Sweden also aimed at testing DAC under extreme weather conditions, but with a much heavier train moving steel. After country-specific tests, next year it will be time to take it a step further with large-scale ones. The plan is to equip 250 wagons and 15 locomotives with DAC and have them run throughout the Old Continent.

Different wagons and different couplers

The wagon types which will undergo testing are Eanos, Sgnss, Shimmns (4668 & 4676), Habbiins, Talns and Faccns, as well as two Siemens Vectron locomotives. Each wagon will be equipped with a CCU (Consist Control Unit), while the two locomotives with an LCU (Lead Control Unit). These are key components of the DAC, as they provide power supply throughout the train, enabling functions such as the automated brake test or the automated uncoupling.

These tests will also be an opportunity to assess interoperability between couplers from different manufacturers. More specifically, the couplers will come from Voith, Knorr Bremse, Wabtec and Dellner. The wagons will be equipped with 44 couplers. “Additionally, the two Vectron locomotives have four hybrid couplings, enabling them to haul wagons equipped either with DAC or conventional screw couplings”, RCG said.

Waiting for large-scale tests

These DAC Demo tests are part of Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking Flagship Project 5 (FP5 – TRANS4M-R). They can be considered as the first step towards the large-scale Pio-DAC tests which will start in 2027. “The PioDAC Trains are the next evolution phase and shall start afterwards with a higher maturity of DAC technology and operate additionally under commercial conditions”, the RCG spokesperson pointed out.

The two new links run on fixed timetables. RCG also offers first and last mile services, forwarding services such as transshipment, warehousing and professional customs clearance. “Freight customers can easily and flexibly book conventional freight wagons or intermodal units such as containers or swap bodies onto the train connections”, the company writes.

Various industries benefit

“The further development of our TransFER connections shows how consistently we align our services with the needs of our customers”, says ÖBB Rail Cargo Group CCO Christoph Grasl. “With new direct and reliable connections, we are improving access to key logistics hubs and creating attractive conditions for the switch to rail.”

RCG explains that these services are particularly beneficial for the chemical, steel, and paper industries. “These sectors gain the most from the enhanced transportation options and simultaneously drive the demand for our services”, the operator says, while pointing out that rail services offer higher transport capacity and reliability than the road, especially for long distances.

The Duisburg-Rotterdam service offers a direct link, initially with three round trips per week, between the Rheinkamp logistics hub near Duisburg and the major terminals of the Port of Rotterdam (Waalhaven, Europoort, Botlek, Pernis, and Maasvlakte). By connecting to Duisburg, one of Europe’s most significant inland ports, the service allows for efficient onward rail transport to destinations in Europe, says RCG.

The Salzburg-Offenbach link runs twice weekly, connecting the Austrian railway hub to an important logistics and industrial center in the Rhine-Main area near Frankfurt am Main.

Romanian connection

RCG is also changing its Romania service offering. The previous connection between Genk (Belgium) and Curtici, on the border with Hungary, will now be a Liège–Curtici link and operate with seven weekly round trips. Liege offers strong connections to the North Sea ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Zeebrugge and serves as a powerful hub between seaports, industrial centres and inland markets, RCG explains.

At the same time, RCG is introducing a new Duisburg–Curtici connection with three weekly round trips. “This means that traffic to Curtici will now be consolidated via both Liège and Duisburg”, the operator says.

“While 2025 has been an exceptionally tough year, we have put in place a holistic turnaround programme with an impact well in excess of 100 million euros to lay the ground for a solid 2026 and a return to profitable growth in a very demanding market.”

Storms weathered

Först characterises his time as CEO as immensely rewarding, intense and often challenging. “Together as TeamRCG we’ve navigated COVID, supply chain shocks and the current industrial downturn, and at the same time strengthened RCG’s position as a leading European rail logistics player.”

The CEO will stay on until April 2026, then take a “short break” and open a new professional chapter.

According to the partners, the recycled material can replace up to 40 per cent of the natural gypsum used in plasterboard manufacturing. Initial volumes are already moving, with regular flows expected to ramp up through 2026. RCG described the system as an example of how rail can support closed-loop industrial supply chains by reducing truck traffic and ensuring a stable movement of secondary raw materials.

Landfill ban

The upcoming ban in Austria will not only concern gypsum, but all waste in general, meaning that more of it will have to be transported. For example, more waste will have to be exported, as Vienna does not have the capacity to recycle all of it. Specifically for gypsum, operators expect demand to rise once the landfill ban takes full effect, potentially turning the Stockerau–Bad Aussee corridor into a permanent bulk-recycling route.

RCG and the Middle Corridor

RCG is establishing a presence in the Middle Corridor, not only with its terminal in CEE. For example, the company has been running trains to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan since 2023. Moreover, last year, Austria joined a group of six other countries to form the International Association Eurasian Transport Route, tasked with the formulation of a tariff policy for the Middle Corridor.

The Austrian operator already runs trains between Budapest and Istanbul, with further links to Austria, Germany and Belgium. Moreover, Curtici is connected to the Turkish port of Tekirdağ, an important hub for goods coming from Ukraine, Russia and southern Europe.

The new line provides the Adriatic ports of Trieste, Venice and Koper better access to the Austrian network and market, providing 30% additional capacity compared to the old line.. It is also a key section of the TEN-T Baltic-Adriatic corridor, connecting these ports to the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. The first freight trains will carry products by Omya, a chemical company specialised in industrial minerals.

The new Koralmbahn

The newly opened Koralmbahn measures about 130 kilometres. Almost half of it, roughly 50 kilometres, will be underground, including the 33-kilometre Koralm Tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in the country (until the Brenner Base Tunnel will be ready). Construction of this new line started in 2001, highlighting the complexity of the project, especially when it came to the tunnels.

The first RCG-operated train in Belgium departed from Roosendaal, the Netherlands, and arrived in the port of Zeebrugge on 14 October.

International expansion

“With the launch of our operations in Belgium, we are strengthening our position as a leading European rail logistics provider and creating, for the first time, a connection under our own traction to the ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp. This allows us to offer our customers even more services from a single source and advance the sustainable connectivity of Europe”, said Clemens Först, CEO of ÖBB Rail Cargo Group.

In order to support the company’s international expansion in the Benelux region, RCG is looking to expand its workforce: it needs train drivers that speak French, Dutch and German and a new team lead for the Antwerp office.

The construction work also introduces adaptations and additions to road connections, overhead line systems, brake test systems and the necessary control rooms.

TEN-T Corridors

The Vienna South Terminal currently has an annual capacity of 380,000 TEU. It functions as a key hub not only for Austria, but also the wider region. “Intermodal transport units from all over the world are transferred between road and rail here”, ÖBB says. The terminal links up to a major Austrian highway and railway, as well as to three TEN-T corridors.

“These corridors link Europe’s key economic hubs and provide RCG with ideal conditions to fulfil its role as the logistical backbone of the European economy”, ÖBB’s freight subsidiary RCG writes on LinkedIn.