News

Despite difficult economic circumstances, SNCB Logistics has reduced its operational loss in 2011. The net result is impacted by impairments and provisions

As of October 2012, Wolfgang Lepak will retire as General Manager of Haeger & Schmidt International. A successor was found in the person of Heiko Brückner, currently General Manager of H&S Container Line, who will also manage this inland navigation specialist for conventional freight based in Duisburg.

Watch the HAVEN TV movie on AVS focusing on multimodality and featuring the shunting station Gent-Zeehaven:

http://www.sncblogistics.be/en/Video

Brussels – 10 November 2011 – At the end of summary proceedings initiated by a competitor of SNCB Logistics, the Brussels Commercial Court of First Instance ruled in favour of SNCB Logistics.  In its decision, the court upheld the legitimacy of posting such statutory employees in the long term – a key element in the subsidiarisation of the cargo activities of SNCB.  SNCB Logistics wishes to take on 350 train drivers at this time. For the latter, the ruling provides additional guarantees to commit themselves to cargo transport in the long term.

Continental traffic from Rotterdam to benefit henceforth from direct connection to IFB’s South and South-East European network.

On 5 September 2011 IFB will add the RSC Rotterdam terminal to its direct connections between Rotterdam and Antwerp. The pan-European inter-modal operator is accordingly expanding its portfolio with a connection that specifically targets continental and short-sea traffic from Rotterdam. The current offer on the Rotterdam-Antwerp axis remains unaltered, with scheduled service three times a week between Antwerp Mainhub and Rotterdam Maasvlakte via the ECT Delta and Euromax Terminal.

On February 1, 2011 the freight activities of NMBS were transferred to an independent company, which operates under the name SNCB Logistics NV/SA.  As a result of this, NMBS Logistics can act as a rail operator with specialized commercial subsidiaries (IFB en Xpedys), its own national rail production and international corridors. Following from its independency, NMBS Logistics has now also submitted a request to obtain a safety certificate for the networks of the neighboring European countries.

IFB offers a truly European intermodal network linking destinations in Eastern-, Western-, Northern- and Southern Europe . In order to develop this network and the service offering, CEO Geert Pauwels introduced a regional business unit (BU) organization for the intermodal business of IFB, each BU headed by a newly appointed manager. This management, in combination with all IFB’s assets like its extensive network, local presence throughout Europe, terminals and wagon fleet and its focus on quality and service, will permit IFB to become a top 3 European player.

Brussels , 1 February 2011 – SNCB Logistics has today become operational as an autonomous company and rail operator. The SNCB Group has provided its new subsidiary with all the necessary means and resources to run freight trains in Belgium and in neighbouring countries. This constitutes an essential step in the reorganisation of the SNCB freight activity. SNCB Logistics is a public limited company of private law and has a structure with its own national rail production, commercial subsidiaries (IFB and Xpedys) and international corridors. The group has a solid base to become profitable and competitive and to develop into an independent, efficient, international logistics concern.
SNCB Logistics will continue to call on SNCB for shunting operations, a part of the traction and the maintenance of the rolling stock.

Duisburg January 21 2011  – Thanks to its combined offering of rail and barge, H&S Container Line Gmbh, inland navigation specialist and member of SNCB Logistics, is able to help out customers who need to transport containers from the Rhine area to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam or vice versa. H&S Container Line has organized extra trains to move more containers, since the high water on the Rhine and more recently since the boat accident that causes a complete blockage of the Rhine.

The Antwerp-based company Efico, one of the ten largest coffee trade houses in Europe, has in September 2010 in the port of Zeebrugge, opened Seabridge: a new, 100% owned, ecological and high-tech distribution centre for green coffee. Marc Beernaert, Manager of Seabridge: “Environment and top quality are of paramount importance at Efico. That is why we opted for the railway and signed a cooperation agreement with IFB for the daily transport of coffee beans from the Port of Antwerp to our storage centre in Zeebrugge. To be able to guarantee continuous high quality of our coffee beans, it is essential that these transports are carried out within a limited time span.   We are very satisfied with the cooperation with IFB. All transport is carried out swiftly and according to plan.”