DB Cargo Automotive is modernizing its rolling stock fleet by putting 60 car transport railcars manufactured by CRRC into service.
The railcars can transport passenger cars weighing up to 3.2 metric tons, including heavy electric vehicles. Thanks to flexible loading levels and a low-platform configuration, even tall vehicles such as SUVs or minivans can be transported safely.
The new Laaeffrs 560.4 railcars were delivered this spring and integrated into the Automotive RailNet, the company’s specialized network for the automotive industry.
The goal is to adapt to the changing demands of the automotive industry through more flexible equipment with high transport capacity.
CRRC will gradually deliver additional units, and DB Cargo’s fleet of car transport railcars will continue to be modernized to meet the demands of the European automotive industry.
The new 560.4 car-carrying railcars are based on the 560 railcar family, which is already well-established in the market. The current generation retains the family’s strengths while enhancing them to meet today’s needs.
The railcars can transport passenger cars weighing up to 3.2 metric tons, including heavy electric vehicles. Thanks to flexible loading levels and a low-platform configuration, even tall vehicles such as SUVs or minivans can be transported safely.
“The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation: vehicles are becoming larger and heavier. We have anticipated these requirements and are constantly investing in flexible car-carrying railcars. Even in difficult times, we continue to modernize our rolling stock fleet,” said Kai Birnstein, Automotive Sales Director at DB Cargo Logistics.
International Expansion of Procurement and Global Partnership
An important element of the project is the procurement of railcars from outside Europe, in collaboration with CRRC, the world’s largest manufacturer of rolling stock.
Following extensive technical cooperation, the railcars received European type approval at the beginning of the year, marking an important milestone for the project. They were transported by sea to the port of Brake (Unterweser) in northwestern Germany, where they were unloaded, assembled, and put into service.
“Through continuous cooperation and the transfer of technical expertise, we successfully qualified the manufacturer. As a result, we have expanded our procurement network and now benefit from significantly greater production capacity,” said Tomasz Jakub Paczesny, head of the Vehicle Projects department at DB Cargo.
Maintenance considerations and life-cycle costs were integrated from the design phase onward. The railcars were structurally optimized, and maintenance was simplified to increase operational availability.
“We incorporated our operational and maintenance experience and built the railcars to the latest standards. This increases availability and reduces costs in the long term,” said Thomas Mayer, Head of Maintenance and Engineering at DB Cargo Logistics.
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