Carriage of empty wagons

At first view, this looks like a useless and money-losing transport. But in reality it is quite different.

On the railway, you will find empty wagons in motion every day. Round-trip of loaded wagons from supplier to customer is the exception rather than the rule on railways around the world to this day. The logistical nut and one of the reasons why the railway cannot be more competitive with flexible road transport, however, has its exceptions that confirm the rule. On the tracks in Slovakia, you will find empty wagons that have a special purpose.

New wagons from Slovakia

Although the country in the heart of Europe prides itself as an automotive powerhouse with the most vehicles produced per capita, fewer people see the wagons manufacturing industry. Tatravagónka is the most prestigious European manufacturer of freight wagons in Europe and produces over 4,000 of them annually in three production plants: in Poprad, Trebišov and Tlmače. A huge advantage of these products is that they cannot go to customers other than by rail. And so, they are transported to the west, north and south on rails. Often before handing over, they are moved to stations with free tracks (such as Strážske or Vrútky) in order to gather there in larger numbers before their journey to their new owner or operator. ZSSK CARGO also provides transport services for these new wagons.

Wagons for repairs

If you see an empty wagons in the mixed freight trains of ZSSK CARGO in the single wagonload (SWL) system, it does not necessarily mean they are headed for loading. In addition to production, Slovakia also excels in the repair and modernization of freight railcars. The wagons can thus go to "wellness", so to speak, the center of which in Slovakia is Trnava - specifically the company ŽOS Trnava. Wagons from all over Europe, for example Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany or France, are transported here. And looking like new, they return to the cycle of daily carriages from these "railway spas" along the rails, sorted in the SWL system.

However, sometimes the wagons are not headed for repair, but for simple cleaning, as we have already written in the case of tank wagons heading to Rimavská Sobota, also thanks to the SWL system.

Deposits

The last case of empty wagons transport occurs when the wagons have no current application. Some, such as grain wagons or platform wagons, experience seasonal loading, but then they need to be put away somewhere - in other words - deposited. For this, suitable unoccupied stations with free tracks and sidings are being sought, where the wagons would not interfere with traffic. ZSSK CARGO business managers also spoke about the need to find such stations in the event of shutdowns at car plants. Then the wagons are not immediately necessary, but the key is to find stations as close as possible to the car factory for "parking", so that the wagons are at hand as quickly as possible after production starts again.

Transportation of new wagons, wagons for repair or storage falls into the unspecified category, and from a commercial point of view, Denisa Peléšková oversees this area at ZSSK CARGO. You can contact her at tel. +421 903 763 023, or email peleskova.denisa@zscargo.sk.

Photos: Filip Devoša, Petr Malý, Szabó Domonkos, Viktor Šesták