Start of the sugar beet campaign

Vienna, 19.10.2023 - Until the end of January 2024, ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) transports in the agricultural sector will focus entirely on sugar beets. The sugar manufacturer AGRANA has started sugar beet processing at its refineries in Tulln and Leopoldsdorf in Lower Austria. As is the case every year, after careful planning, everything needs to be done very quickly – locomotives, carriages, and personnel must be organised and ready in the right place at the right time, all within a very short time period. In line with a climate-friendly, sustainable strategy, AGRANA is once again relying on RCG’s extensive experience in the ongoing sugar beet campaign.

Almost 1.5 million tonnes in Austria
At nearly 36 collection points in Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Burgenland, Styria, and Carinthia, sugar beets are collected and loaded onto trains. Every day, up to 13 trains – either in a single wagonload or in a unit train – carry loads of up to 1,400 net tonnes to the refineries. In total, this amounts to approximately 2.6 million tonnes of conventional sugar beet and 40,000 tonnes of organic sugar beet, cultivated on over 36,000 hectares of farmland. More than half of these sugar beet transports can be attributed to RCG. An estimated 365,000 train kilometres will have been covered by the end of January – a distance that could circle the equator almost ten times.

Up to 470,000 tonnes in Hungary
The Hungarian subsidiary of RCG has also started transporting sugar beets. Until the end of January 2024, they will be handling four trains daily, covering more than 150,000 kilometres over the course of the campaign. Starting from approximately 40 shipping points, RCG is expected to transport between 450,000 to 470,000 tonnes to the Magyar Cukor Zrt sugar refinery in the coming months.

Rail Cargo Group: the freight transport division of the ÖBB
As a leading rail logistics provider in Europe, we are shaping the industry. 365 days a year – 24 hours a day. Across Europe and beyond into Asia. With our presence in 18 countries worldwide, we connect people, businesses and markets – from the first to the last mile. It’s thanks to our 5,887 logistics professionals from 34 nations that 448,000 trains a year, respectively 1,230 a day, reach their destinations safe and sound. With our efficient end-to-end logistics services, we transport over 88 million net tonnes of freight each year. A modal share of 27.5 % (preliminary value) of the total freight market in Austria makes us top of the league in Europe. Operational management of the Rail Cargo Group lies with Rail Cargo Austria AG.