Tag: Rail Transport

GLS buys market leader ABX Belgium

Posted by | Dec 7, 2006 | |

GLS Group is taking over ABX Belgium Distribution NV/SA. This makes GLS number 1 on the Belgian B2B parcel market. Today, the Belgian railroad company, SNCB/NMBS – the mother company of ABX Belgium Distribution – and GLS signed the agreements.
GLS is taking over the parcel and general cargo business of ABX Belgium Distribution, which generates revenues of approximately 90 million euros per year (Financial year 2005). Parcel business accounts for about two-thirds of the revenues. More than 650 employees work for ABX Belgium at a total of nine locations (including a hub in Brussels), providing service for approximately 8,000 customers – to service them, 560 vehicles are in use.
While ABX Belgium Distribution mostly handles shipments in the Benelux region, with only a small percentage of exports, GLS is positioned as a parcel service provider that operates throughout Europe. “Today’s transaction means we will be able to combine GLS’ European competence with ABX Belgium Distribution’s regional strength”, explains Rico Back, CEO of GLS B.V., Amsterdam. “For GLS, attaining market leadership in Belgium means that the network in central Europe is being decisively strengthened. For ABX Belgium Distribution, the link to the GLS European network will result in new growth opportunities.”

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China, Russia and Germany consider logistics JV

Posted by | Nov 24, 2006 | |

Russian Railways, Deutsche Bahn and China’s Ministry of Railways signed a Memorandum on Co-operation in Beijing on November 20, 2006, in respect of greater co-operation on Eurasian railway transportation.

The goal of the three parties is to increase rail freight between China and Europe via Russia, and to develop competitive market services in rail transport and logistics.

The parties agreed to establish a joint co-ordinating committee, chaired by Liu Zhijun, China’s Minister of Railways; Hans Mehdorn, CEO of Deutsche Bahn; and Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways.

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French La Poste and SNCF to set up 50/50 Joint Venture

Posted by | Nov 20, 2006 | |

French national post office La Poste and French national railway company SNCF will set up a 50/50 joint venture company to transport postal freight in Europe on high-speed trains, it was reported on November 20, 2006.
No financial details were disclosed.
The joint venture is expected to be operational at the end of 2008, the two companies said. The deal will enable La Poste to boost the development of its mail quality project, launched in 2004. It represents a total investment of 3.4 bln euro (USD 4.4 bln) until 2010 and aims at improving the speed of mail delivery.
Currently the postal freight uses three high-speed trains, covering eight delivery points between the logisitcs platforms in Paris, Macon and Cavaillon.
The two companies also said that they were studying a project for a high-speed train hub from the Paris airport Roissy Charles De Gaulle 2 (Roissy CDG2) which would make it possible to connect Strasbourg, Dijon, Rennes, Lyon, Bordeaux via Poitiers and Lille.

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Rail service better

Posted by | Aug 16, 2006 | |

North American rail service improved in the second quarter and year over year, according to Bear Stearns’s quarterly survey of 1,000 shippers.

The survey respondents named CSX, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific as having the most improved service.

Although 28 percent of the shippers still expect rail service to deteriorate during the peak season, this is down considerably from 53 percent a year ago.

Shippers expect to pay a 4.4-percent average rail rate increase in 2006, meaningfully up from 3.7 percent in the first quarter and 3.5 percent a year ago. Forty-four percent of the survey respondents described full-truckload capacity as “balanced;” 34 percent described the full-truckload market as “tight” and 22 percent as “over capacity.” For the first time since 2001, no respondent saw “extremely tight” capacity. The survey found shippers see even greater less-than-truckload capacity availability.

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3i completes ABX Logistics buyout

Posted by | Aug 4, 2006 | |

British financial investor 3i said that it has completed the takeover of Belgian-based ABX Logistics for an undisclosed sum following this week’s clearance for the deal from the European Commission. But, as previously reported, the domestic Belgian business has been left under the ownership of Belgian Railways.

3i said in a statement that it and funds which it has advised have completed the acquisition of ABX Logistics’ international trucking, air and sea freight forwarding activities, including those to and from Belgium, and its contract logistics business. The deal was previously valued at about €80 million by Belgian media.

But the acquisition excludes the local road distribution business within Belgium which represents less than 3% of total group turnover. This business includes the original ABX Logistics domestic parcels operation.

ABX Logistics, with turnover of €2.5 billion and a workforce of circa 10,000 people, has returned to profit following restructuring and downsizing over the past few years. 3i said it is backing the existing management team, led by Laurent Levaux, Chief Executive Officer.

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