While rail freight transport is already very environmentally friendly, DB Cargo has taken things a step further. With DBeco plus and DBeco neutral, we transport your freight by rail without producing any CO2 emissions whatsoever, while our transports by road are climate neutral.

Ordering, booking and tracking freight wagons has always been a complex process – until now. The centralised link2rail customer platform is gradually being rolled out to customers.

For the past 130 years, the thyssenkrupp subsidiary Acciai Special Termin SPa, AST for short, has been one of the most important integrated steelworks companies. Every year, AST manufactures one million tonnes of stainless steel at its plant in the Italian city of Terni. The main ingredient it uses is Inox steel scrap, which is imported from Germany to Terni in EA wagons. Once the scrap has been transformed into stainless steel, it is exported to different destinations in Germany in various forms, including steel coils. Customised connections DB Cargo has had operations in Italy for many years and is increasingly experiencing success there. DB Cargo Italia, the national company, has been a crucial part of this development. The company operates a high-performance network there, consisting of four hubs and more than 60 transhipment facilities. Especially in recent years, DB Cargo Italia has reorganised the single wagonload network for the Italian market and linked it even more efficiently to the European network. In doing so, DB Cargo has combined the strength of an international market leader in Italy with the advantages of a regional rail freight transport provider. DB Cargo Italia opted to take this strategic approach in response to a significant market need on the part of its Italian customers. That's because many companies based in the storied birthplace of pasta lack the export volume they would need to fill traditional block trains. DB Cargo Italia's single wagonload allows for different circumstances. The network offers customers an excellent way to transport their goods to their customers all over Europe efficiently, quickly and with a high degree of flexibility. Carbon neutrality increasing in importance "With its Italian network, efficient transit times and high level of wagon availability, DB Cargo Italia is an indispensable partner for AST when it comes to providing raw materials," says Emanuele Sinibaldi, an employee at AST. Four times a week, DB Cargo Italia delivers 3,400 net tonnes of steel scrap to Terni from Munich and Karlsruhe. Thanks to its optimised logistics concept, AST has succeeded in bumping up its export volume to Germany by another 2,500 tonnes per week. "The factor which increased traffic from Terni to Desio was a new connection to the Chiasso hub," says Massimiliano Caglio. "AST's private siding is integrated into DB Cargo's network at three different points: Chiasso, Brescia and Cervignano,” he says, adding that the flexibility provided by these three connections represents a major advantage. "Being carbon neutral is also very important to AST, because sustainability plays a key role in our corporate culture for financial and other reasons. This approach enables AST to avoid the fees now charged in Italy for carbon certificates at the end of each year,” he says. Efficiency in the scrap lifecycle Transporting products in the steel-working industry is one of DB Cargo Italia's core competencies. "DBscrap-solution ensures we have the recycling lifecycle we need," says Caglio. This lifecycle is based on a sector-specific network, special wagons and custom logistics solutions. Sinibaldi from AST appreciates this as well: "By taking this approach, DB Cargo Italia ensures our plants will enjoy an uninterrupted flow of materials and the automobile industry in Germany will never run short on supplies."

Modern coupling technology in the rail freight sector is both digital and automatic. Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), a pilot project to demonstrate, test and approve the use of digital automatic coupling (DAC) in freight trains started in June, and trials are now in full swing.

Door-to-door deliveries between Hamburg and Cologne are now available with our brand-new single wagonload product. This service will give customers without private sidings access to the rail network.