Romania's largest privately owned contract logistics specialist, Tibbett
Logistics - part of the fast-growing UK-based Keswick Enterprises group -
has taken delivery of its first 32 intermodal rail wagons from the French
company Touax, a leading provider of rolling stock in Europe.
The development further underlines Tibbett Logistics' strong commitment to
its intermodal (road-rail) operations in Romania and across the south-east
Europe region. It is one of the few logistics companies to acquire its own
rail rolling stock as a guarantee of capacity.
Initially the wagons will be used on Tibbett's own block trains operating
out of the maritime port of Constanta on the Black Sea, but the company also
has plans to acquire additional rail wagons early in 2012 to secure
sufficient capacity for daily services and to create a link between
Bucharest and the west of Romania.
Tibbett Logistics CEO, David Goldsborough, said: "We have recently seen
increased interest in - and demand for - intermodal/road-rail logistics
solutions, while at the same time the availability of rail wagons on the
Romanian market has decreased due to the age and general poor state of
repair of the rolling stock. For this reason, we have taken the unusual
step of long-term leasing our own rail wagons so that our ability to offer
regular and uninterrupted services to customers is not compromised.
Creating a daily service and keeping our promises to customers and partners
are our key objectives."
The delivery of Tibbett's rail wagons in Romania follows hot-on-the-heels of
the arrival of additional terminal equipment - mainly in the shape of a
Kalmar DRF450 reach stacker. This impressive lifter can handle containers
and intermodal units weighing up to 40 tonnes, and complements the company's
existing Hyster Top Loader reach stacker.
With phase one of Tibbett Logistics' second intermodal terminal in Bucharest
(at Europolis Park in the west of the city) now complete, construction work
is ahead of plan on the second phase of the terminal development - to
provide another 150 metres of track access and extra storage space for
containers. The first intermodal trains have just been received at the
terminal - a few days before next week's grand opening.
Tibbett Logistics offers comprehensive logistics services to the automotive,
textiles, retail and other FMCG sectors throughout Romania and beyond -
operating approximately 100,000 square metres of warehousing plus a
distribution fleet comprising tilt trailers, double- and triple-chamber
reefers and container chassis, along with its own intermodal rail wagons.