ERS Railways to link China with Europe

ERS Railways' keen customer focus lends dynamism to a rather traditional industry. With established routes from its headquarters in Rotterdam into the hinterlands of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland and Turkey, the next stop for Europe's leading rail cargo company would be China. By connecting Chengdu to Rotterdam via Poland, ERS Railways would be cutting cargo travel time from China to Europe from about 50 days to less than 20.

"I think it's a sensible solution because if you're coming from China into Europe, you can disperse cargo in Central Europe on your way into Western Europe," says Frank Schuhholz, ERS Railways' managing director. "It's all about meeting customer imagination and needs. The expansion is something we want to pursue this time when production in China is moving westward."

Such emphasis on clients' strategic interests has enabled the company to win the trust of more than 450 customers comprising forwarders, carriers and logistics service providers. By offering add-ons such as GPS tracking, ERS Railways offers worry-free transport of shipments arriving at the ports.

"We're definitely more competitive than the normal trucking business when it comes to speed and reliability," Schuhholz says.

This advantage will further heighten as the Netherlands' rail sector moves towards complete reliance on renewable energy sources by 2018. While the programme will bring down rail transport costs, it will also result in zero CO{-2} emissions as the industry will fully rely on wind energy. Almost all of ERS Railways' locomotives are electric.

A part of international rail and logistics provider Freightliner Group, ERS Railways celebrates its 20th anniversary this year by expanding its reach through partnerships.