[CH] TX Logistik and Mercitalia invest in Switzerland – new TRAXX MS3 locomotives come in 2019

As of 10.12.2017 rail freight operator TX Logistik, part of the Mercitalia Group, will regain responsibility for the traction of its own trains in Switzerland. With investing in its organization in the Alp country, the operator is able to close this ‘gap’ in its network again. Its freight services will then cover the complete Rhine-Alpine corridor, one of Europe’s most important rail freight ‘highway’ connecting Germany and Italy.

The Rhine-Alpine corridor connects the ARA ports (Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam) in with Genoa in Italy. It crosses major European economic regions, home to numerous leading industrial companies, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers. TX Logistik, that already had an office in Basel, wants to be ready for the future. The company want to strengthen its own position on this relation, as it expects that rail transport will gain market share on the north-south routes with the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) and the commissioning of new intermodal terminals in Milan, Brescia, and Piacenza.

In order to be able to operate interoperably and efficiently in cross-border rail transport, TX Logistik is investing in forty new multi-system locomotives, which will be delivered by Bombardier from 2019 onwards. The new TRAXX MS3 locomotives can be configured for different countries thanks to its modular design. TX Logistik also expects that it can reduce the number of locomotives in operation and improve the punctuality of its services.