Austria
Hungary
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bulgaria
China
Germany
Italy
Croatia
The Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Turkey
The economy, and industry in particular, has certainly seen better days. Most recently, economic research institutes have lowered their forecasts against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions, including the conflict involving Iran. How do you remain optimistic in this environment?
Christoph Grasl: There is no question that the geopolitical situation is challenging for all of us. We are very closely tied to the industry and feel the impact directly. Even so, we are firmly convinced that the future belongs to rail. That optimism is very much part of who we are – we simply need to express it more clearly again.
That does not necessarily make the coming months any easier, though …
Bettina Castillo: I have worked in logistics all my life, and what I find so rewarding about logistics is that the challenges you face are ones you can genuinely solve. That gives you a great deal of energy. When I look at European rail freight over the next few years, I see enormous potential. We simply need to unlock it together.
What is the plan for getting back into the fast lane?
Grasl: There is no single lever you can pull to fix everything overnight. It is about taking many steps and implementing a range of smaller measures that all need to come together as part of a bigger picture. Our competitiveness programme, Phoenix, already showed some very positive effects in the first quarter. In the market, we are active across numerous industrial segments, and many of them are still performing well despite the difficult environment. We will continue to support our customers intensively with their logistics challenges and make rail freight more attractive again, with the clear aim of delivering a significantly better result in 2026.
Since the beginning of May, you have shared the duties of the Executive Board, thereby taking on oversight of additional areas. How do you keep up to date with new developments?
Grasl: I am a naturally curious person. When new challenges or areas of responsibility come along, I find it exciting to immerse myself in them and broaden my own horizons.
Castillo: We are fortunate to work with many people who have a great deal of passion for what they do every day. If you approach that environment with curiosity and work more closely with the teams, you can really make things happen. We now have a unique opportunity to rethink things from the ground up – whether that is how we coordinate with one another, how we bring the market and production perspectives closer together, or more generally how we move forward into the future. We need to make the most of this opportunity.
More specifically, how can we best do that?
Castillo: My wish would be for everyone to come to work each day and ask themselves: ‘What can I do better today than I did yesterday?’ If we do that, we are on the right path.
That also requires a great deal of personal responsibility. What message would you like to give to Team RCG?
Grasl: We have a very committed leadership team at Rail Cargo Group, supported by thousands of employees who are hugely passionate about freight transport. I give everyone my trust upfront, but I also expect something in return. Trust is not a one-way street; it always works both ways.
Castillo: The Executive Board may be the face of the company — but its heart lies with the people who work here with such commitment every day. We stand for a very modern style of leadership, and we want to embed that even more deeply within the company. That means giving people responsibility, creating the right conditions for them to take it on, and working together to set the course for a successful future – also with the generational change in mind.
Rail Cargo Group maintains numerous successful customer relationships, some of which go back decades. How have we earned that trust?
Grasl: We have just been talking about trust in our employees and managers. It is no different with our customers. Over the years, we have built up a very high level of trust with some of Austria’s major industrial customers. From that trust, a sense of certainty has emerged: we are there when they need us, and they are there when we need them. This give and take has enabled us to grow together.
Are there situations in which you feel that trust particularly strongly?
Grasl: Over the past few years, we have really been through thick and thin together. I am thinking, for example, of the floods in autumn 2024, when, despite extremely difficult conditions, we proved that we could ensure security of supply for Austrian industry. There are currently major construction works affecting Europe’s rail infrastructure, particularly in Germany. Slovenia is also facing significant restrictions at the moment. Access to the Port of Koper – one of the most important ports for Austrian industry – is currently extremely difficult. Only recently, we held a meeting in which we worked with Slovenian Railways to develop completely new production concepts. Our customers recognise and value that, and they respond with close and trusting cooperation.
For many of our services, we are increasingly relying on our own traction. Is that a successful model?
Castillo: Absolutely. We are increasingly able to offer seamless international transport chains. For me, that is a clear competitive advantage, especially when you look at the market figures. Companies that offer rail freight services and operate their own production are simply more successful. We provide our customers with genuine end-to-end services from a single source, delivered by an international team – and that is something we are proud of.
Because it allows us to act as a single point of contact for our customers?
Castillo: That too, but not only that. When it comes to implementing international planning and international disruption management, we can offer customers significantly better and higher-quality services if we have an overview of the entire chain and can influence it at any time.
Rail Cargo Group operates in 18 countries and already provides own traction in 14 of them. Are we on the right track?
Castillo: The big vision is that one day it should be as easy to move a train through Europe as it is to drive a truck. That is only partly in our hands, because political regulation also plays a major role. What we can implement more quickly, however, is the optimisation of our own traction. That means ensuring everyone involved in international planning and coordination works with the same system, speaks the same language – English – and has access to information across the entire transport chain. We are making major progress here.
In what way?
Castillo: We recently brought the international Orient Corridor into a shared transport planning system. We want to roll this out everywhere next year. That will make us even more successful in the market and put us one step ahead of our competitors again. We have already implemented international disruption management across all corridors.
To achieve that, we also need the best employees in Europe. What makes working at Rail Cargo Group so special?
Grasl: Quite simply, we work for a fantastic company, and our ambition is to make freight transport in Europe more sustainable. That gives our work a greater sense of purpose, and we create value for society. We see this especially among younger generations: it is no longer just about whether you earn a few hundred euros more or less, but about doing something meaningful. That is an enormous source of motivation for our team.
