Page 28 - Port of Hamburg Magazine - 03.18

■ HINTERLAND
Environment-friendly intermodal transport into hinterland
28 | Port of Hamburg Magazine | September 2018
Many German commercial centres are reached from Europe’s biggest rail port by various intermodal transport operators, often several times every day. With its network comprising its own trains, terminals, depots and trucking organisations, IGS Intermodal Container Logistics offers one-stop shopping for all services: IGS places great store on reconciling ecological and commercial needs for its customers.
The Port of Hamburg has underpinned its image as a ‘green port’ with its range of measures con- solidating sustainability in logistics. Customers, who decide to use intermodal transport, i.e. road – rail, or inland waterway craft – road, are making a contribution to freight services becoming envi- ronment-friendlier in comparison with pure road transport, and carrying sustainability into the hin- terland, too. IGS Intermodal Container Logistics has taken on this challenge, balancing ecological and commercial needs throughout the transport chain.
ROLLING WITH WHISPERING BRAKES
IGS has leased a fleet of some 400 flat container railcars long-term. These are 100 percent equipped with, what are known as, ‘whispering brakes’. These considerably reduce noise while rolling along the track and braking. This means that today, IGS is exceeding legal requirements, lying clearly ahead of the pack in the field.
State-of-the-art electric locomotives are deployed on the trains running between the seaports and IGS terminals in the German hinterland. These are fitted with noise-reducing disc brakes, using their electric motors to support braking action. While braking, 15 percent of the energy is retrieved and fed back into the power grid. In addition, engine drivers are being sensitized to energy-optimized driving. They are also regularly trained in ener- gy-saving rail operations. The engine’s electronics also continually give the driver tips for optimizing consumption during train operations.
Since energy costs make up a substantial part of to- tal costs in rail traction, this serves not only to con- serve resources, but also raises cost conscious- ness among staff. Moreover, the engines deployed for IGS facilitate an increase in load of 12.5 percent over other engine models. This eases the way over the Harz Mountains at Kassel, at the same time as improving the utilized capacity. Carrying out regular
©IGS