The heaviest freight train in history up and running from March

The heaviest freight train in the history of Rail Cargo Carrier - Italy S.r.l., our Italian-based RU, has completed its first successful journey on the steep Tarvisio-Udine line.

24 fully loaded tank wagons started off from the large marshalling yard at Villach South on 14th January and reached Trento Roncafort with a total load of 2,200 tonnes.

Brake tests were carried out on the Ugovizza-Carnia line, as well as incline tests on gradients of more than seven percent. In both cases, the maximum weight was several hundred tonnes heavier than any loads that our Italian subsidiary has ever transported. Cameras monitored the acceleration rate and the behavior of the wheels. Various weather conditions were simulated by watering the tracks.

A data logger manometer recorded pressure levels in the main brake pipe during the Ugovizza-Carnia and Tarvisio-Udine descents in order to verify that standards governing the sawtooth method were adhered to. It was also interesting to observe the amount of thermal stress and the extent to which pressure losses could be avoided when the vehicle’s electric brakes ran out of power.

The first test run was a success, so nothing stands in the way of us transporting heavy goods at great heights in Italy for our customers from 1st March.