22.11.2002
Opel Benelux Express optimizes rail traffic between plants

With the introduction of the Opel Benelux Express, three European partner railways - DB Cargo AG (Germany), Railion Benelux (Netherlands) and SNCB (Belgium, B-Cargo) – have set up a unique arrangement to handle the freight transport between Opel's car plants throughout Europe across borders.

The Opel Benelux Express is the product of an Opel initiative designed to make the entire logistics chain more effective. As a result, the Opel plant Antwerps will receive the components for the Astra production faster and more reliable.

"'State-of-the-art' vehicle manufacturing requires lean production methods as well as perfect and reliable logistics. We consider the supply trains as a kind of extended production line – and that's how they improve our operational efficiency and quality," states Eddy Geysen, Chairman and Managing Director Opel Belgium and GME Vice President EU Affairs.

Today, Opel handles 95 per cent of its entire freight transport between plants by rail. Cross-border services from Germany to Belgium will operate in accordance with the latest EU directives and eliminate unnecessary intermediate stops and subsequently unnecessary losses in terms of time and quality. In addition, with the new route through the Netherlands, the journey is now shorter, which saves time and also makes it possible to use longer trains. Thus, freight can be spread over fewer trains which improves the environmental impact.

Two trains pairs commute daily between Antwerp and Bochum. Each train has a length of 670 meters (which is around 40 meters longer than the current trains). Instead of the current payload of 1,100 tons, each train will be able to haul 1,350 tons of freight. The journey time has been shortened by just under two hours, plus the increased payload, means that a third pair of trains operating between Opel plants can be eliminated. The Opel Benelux Express thus not only operates at lower cost with greater operational efficiency. There is also a significant reduction in the environmental impact.