ERFA Rail Connection Group Bavaria met in Gersthofen

The members of the ERFA Rail Connection Group Bavaria met at the end of July at the invitation of MVV Industriepark Gersthofen GmbH to discuss the topic of general renovation of high-performance corridors and to exchange personal experiences regarding current challenges in rail operations.

(PresseBox: Gersthofen) At the end of July, the ERFA Rail Connection Group met in Bavaria at one of its members, MVV Industriepark Gersthofen GmbH in Gersthofen. The site operating company MVV Industriepark Gersthofen GmbH provides the eleven companies located there with infrastructure as well as supply and disposal services from a single source. The core business of the company includes energy and media supply, as well as services related to environmental protection and safety, but also the training of young professionals for the chemical site. With more than 320 employees – including around 100 trainees – MVV offers the companies based in the industrial park an optimal connection of infrastructure and services.

“We are pleased that we were able to provide insights into our industrial park as the host of this ERFA conference. We at MVV Industriepark Gersthofen GmbH, as the owner of the land of the properties, can not only offer our site customers favorable lease conditions, but our alternative fuel (EBS) power plant also enables a cost-effective and climate-friendly energy supply for the industrial park. With it, we achieve a significant reduction in CO2,” explains Managing Director Dr. Markus Partik in his introductory words. “The railway, as an important mode of transport, plays a major role in sustainably connecting our site and reconciling economy and ecology.”

In the afternoon, during the tour of the industrial park, the ERFA members were able to gain deeper insights. Jürgen Fenchel, Head of Site Infrastructure at MVV Industriepark Gersthofen GmbH, guided the guests over the extensive grounds and presented the track systems and their processes. A particular highlight was the visit to the own locomotive shed and the pragmatic device for simplified and safe access during locomotive maintenance.

Experience exchange is a success factor of the meetings

An important success factor of the ERFA meetings, in addition to the insights gained from the processes on-site, is the exchange of experiences among each other and the contributions made during guest lectures. These meetings are moderated by Andreas Krapf, project manager at LKZ Prien GmbH and ERFA moderator Bavaria. At this meeting in Gersthofen, representatives of DB InfraGO AG reported on the current status of the general renovation of high-performance corridors, focusing on the upcoming renovation measures in Bavaria. By 2030, Deutsche Bahn will renovate around 40 utilized high-performance corridors with over 4,000 route kilometers nationwide, including seven in Bavaria. The Riedbahn between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim will start in mid-July 2024. Detours or construction traffic will be set up due to the closures. However, it is still unclear who will bear the additional costs for these longer detours and what the detailed financing of the still pending renovations by the federal government will look like.

“Every shipper and logistics service provider using these railways affected by the renovation is well advised to consider a Plan B early for the duration of the general renovation,” summarizes Dr. Petra Seebauer, Managing Director of LKZ Prien GmbH and responsible for press and public relations of the ERFA rail connection, regarding the results of the subsequent discussion in the ERFA round.

Rail share of 25 percent by 2030

“The political goal of achieving a rail share of 25 percent by 2030 will become even more difficult, if not nearly impossible. It will be particularly dangerous if rail connections have to be reduced or even completely abandoned due to a lack of alternative solutions during the renovation. It is therefore important that all rail connection users affected directly and indirectly by the closure due to the general renovation are informed early to prepare appropriate logistics solutions and to keep traffic on the rail in the long term,” explains Dr. Agnes Eiband, Managing Director of ERFA Gleisanschluss GmbH. Petra Seebauer adds at this point: “Rail connection users can contact us at any time to get information about the current status and contacts to DB InfraGO AG.”

Photo: © Erfa Gleisanschluss/LKZ Prien