First results ROLA: Significantly more trucks on the rails

The extended sectoral driving ban has been in force in Tyrol since January 2020. In close cooperation with the State of Tyrol, the Rail Cargo Group had made provisions early on so that it could handle an increased demand for ROLA services. Capacities have been successively increased since the turn of the year. The impact of these measures can already be felt. While 16,165 trucks were transported on the Brenner axis from 1^st January to 15^th February 2019, this year the figure has already risen to 21,394 trucks in the same period.

Over 1,000 fewer trucks on Tyrol's roads every day

Growth is concentrated mainly on the Wörgl-Brenner and return routes. At ROLA’s full capacity, 1,000 fewer trucks cross through Tyrol every day. In this way, the Rail Cargo Group, together with the State of Tyrol, is making a significant contribution to relieving the Tyrolean population of the burdens of transit traffic and is also making an important contribution to protecting the environment and the climate.

"The ROLA system manages to relocate very large quantities in a short period of time. Short loading and unloading times of the ROLA trains mean that rapid train turnarounds and high-frequency transport can be implemented. This is also an advantage for transport companies who can quickly get their trucks onto the rails without having to purchase additional equipment," says Bernhard Ebner, Business Unit Manager Intermodal of the Rail Cargo Group.

Capacities to be doubled in the course of the year

ROLA capacities will be gradually increased over the course of 2020. Specifically, the Rail Cargo Group has been offering 46 trains on the Brenner axis since the beginning of the year. In terms of trucks, a capacity of 250,000 trucks per year on the ROLA on the Brenner axis has been made available since the beginning of the year. This will be increased to 400,000 trucks per year. Both the Wörgl-Brenner route and the Wörgl-Trento route are available on the Brenner axis.