In a press release, ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) CEO Andreas Matthä expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, highlighting the expansion of RCG’s network within the Netherlands.
“The expansion of the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group continues: after establishing subsidiaries in China and Serbia, the RCG is now expanding its international network within the Netherlands,” he said.
The acquisition is strategically significant for RCG, Europe’s second-largest rail logistics provider. Operating in 18 countries, with plans to extend its own traction services to 14 countries, RCG forms a vital part of the European economy.
The Netherlands is a key geographical and strategic location due to its direct connections to the ARA-Ports (Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam) and its positioning along crucial train corridors and terminals, such as those in Geleen and Moerdijk.
RCG already operates several established TransFER network connections with fixed timetables. These include the TransFER Linz–Duisburg–Rotterdam with four round trips per week, the TransFER Wolfurt–Rotterdam with two round trips per week, and the TransFER Linz–Antwerp, which runs almost daily. These routes successfully link Western Europe with Central, Southern, and Southeastern Europe. The acquisition of Captrain Netherlands extends RCG’s coverage with its own staff and locomotives to another European region.
Captrain Netherlands b.v. has been active in the Dutch market since 2007, focusing on rail transport operations at the Geleen and Moerdijk terminals and the Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport. The company employs 61 people and, in 2022, achieved a turnover of 12.2 million euros with a transport performance of 765 million tonne-kilometres, making it the third-largest rail transport company in the Netherlands. The company operates a fleet of seven locomotives dedicated to shunting and last-mile services, providing a significant advantage for end-to-end transport operations.