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Rail firms get rid of the gaps

[ June 4, 2014   //   ]

VTG Rail UK has signed hire agreements for its Ecofret container wagons with Freightliner and GB Railfreight.

Freightliner has ordered 21 sets of twin-platform Ecofret wagons to add to its existing fleet of 43 twins, whilst GBRf has placed orders for 17 triple-platform sets which will join the existing triple with which it has been running extended trials.

Delivery will begin in late summer 2014 and continue through until early 2015.

VTG’s managing director, Rob Brook, said: “The wagons are designed to maximise the number of 40ft containers, now predominant in the deep sea shipping market, that can be carried in a given train length. By using the capability of the centre platform of the Ecofret triple platform set to carry either one 40ft or two 20ft containers, or by mixing twin platform Ecofrets with existing 60ft wagons such as FEAs, the wasteful 20ft gaps common on traditional intermodal trains are virtually eliminated”.

As well as increasing the number of containers carried on a train of a given length by up to 32%, getting rid of large gaps between boxes reduces turbulence and improves fuel consumption.

 

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