The ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) has officially begun operating in Belgium following the receipt of the required single safety certificate for the Netherlands, Belgium, and the German border region from the European Railway Agency (ERA).
As a result; RCG has now completed its very-first operation within the country, with its first freight train operating under its own traction reaching its destination at the port of Zeebrugge on 14 October.
The operation saw RCG’s freight train begin its service in Roosendaal in the Netherlands before reaching its final destination in Belgium, marking the company’s first official foray into Belgium’s network.
Having received the safety certificate from the ERA; RCG has now officially met all legal and operational safety requirements and is permitted to operate entirely with its own locomotives.
Clemens Först , CEO of ÖBB Rail Cargo Group, said:With the launch of our operations in Belgium, we are strengthening our position as a leading European rail logistics provider and creating, for the first time, a connection under our own traction to the ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp.
This allows us to offer our customers even more services from a single source and advance the sustainable connectivity of Europe.
As a result of its Belgian expansion; ÖBB Rail Cargo Group has now stated it is seeking skilled workers for its operation in the Benelux region. The company is actively recruiting train drivers capable of speaking French, Dutch and German.
