IFB takes over TRW’s transport business

News 15 May 2009 by WCN Editorial

Belgian Railways is rationalising its intermodal service offer

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Interferryboats (IFB) has concentrated up to now on transport of marine containers by rail and inland waterway, whereas Transport Route Wagon (TRW), in keeping with its roots as a company that was originally owned by road hauliers, has focused on swap bodies and trailers, in classic UIRR fashion.

Both companies have expanded their activities in recent years, resulting in greater overlap between their products and customer bases.

TRW has been part of Belgian Railways for some time and the company has decided to merge its transport operations in order to provide customers with a less ambiguous service offer.

TRW’s director Jean-Luc Mélard is joining IFB as general manager, international business development, with Wilfried Moons as general manager, intermodal.

Henceforth, TRW will focus on asset management, responsible for the ownership and management of the combined intermodal wagon fleet. The company will lease wagons to train operators or industrial shippers, and provide wagon maintenance and repair services, both in Belgium and abroad. It will also be able to offer fleet management to other train operators or shippers with their own wagon fleets.

As previously reported, French Rail has made another bid to take complete control of the French UIRR operator, Novatrans, but Novatrans’ road haulier members and the FNTR are putting up strong resistance to the move. However, there are now reports that SNCF may move to take over one of its private sector competitors, Veolia Cargo, which Veolia Transport has admitted that it wants to sell.