Cargowaggon
Encyclopedia
GE Rail Services (formerly Cargowaggon) is a European railway services company owned by GE Capital
and headquartered in Amsterdam
, Holland.
, Germany
by Swiss
shipping company Danzas Holding AG
, to undertake trans-European shipment of customers rail cargo. The company specified and purchased wagons from mainly German manufacturers, which were then sub-leased or hired to customers.
The company was started through an invitation to manufacture and manage new rail vehicles for Ford Europe
in 1979, to allow transportation of motor vehicle sub-assemblies between various European factories. By 1997 jointly owned by Australian
business services company Brambles Industries
, the company was purchased by GE Capital Services.
In May 1998, GE bought International Wagon Services Ltd in Bromley, Kent United Kingdom
, which operated 2,100 railway wagons under the Tiphook
brand. The two brands were combined under the joint name of Cargowaggon IWS, as a division of GE Capital Railcar Services.
By 1999, the newly named GE Rail Services had integrated Cargowaggon GmbH and International Wagon Services Ltd/Tiphook Rail Ltd, resulting in a company with offices in the UK, Germany, France
, Italy
and Sweden
. The company had in excess of 4,600 wagons, of which 2,000 were suitable for Channel Tunnel
traffic. The fleet covers sectors including intermodal, automotive, infrastructure, construction, steel, hazardous and general cargoes.
In the late 1970s, Ford had sub-contracted its inter-factory transport to Danzas
. As the UK had the most restrictive loading gauge
in European railways, the two jointly approached British Rail to agree a new design, which resulted in Ford placing an order for private owner wagons with Cargowaggon to make a replacement for the ageing VQX. The result was a 45 feet (13.7 m) twin-axle sliding door all metal van. The design proved so successful, that in the early 1980s Ford again approached Cargowaggon for a new design, this time a slightly longer 47 feet (14.3 m) twin-axle sliding door all metal van, which was adapted by British Rail to become the VGA.
rail ferry, its long wheelbase restricted the minimum radius on which it could be used. The resultant dlonger length wagon, based on a twin EVA bogie, twin axle design, the IGA spawned three basic variants:
The Cargowaggon IGA is now the most commonly used trans-European railway wagon, particularly popular since the opening of the Channel Tunnel
, resulting in a design which has been improved over the developing years as opposed to replaced.
GE Capital
GE Capital is the financial services unit of General Electric, one of five major units. Its various divisions include GE Capital Aviation Services, GE Capital Real Estate, GE Energy Financial Services and GE Money....
and headquartered in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Holland.
History
Cargowaggon Gmbh was founded in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
shipping company Danzas Holding AG
Danzas
DHL Global Forwarding, formerly known as DHL Danzas Air & Ocean, is a division of Deutsche Post DHL providing air and ocean freight forwarding services...
, to undertake trans-European shipment of customers rail cargo. The company specified and purchased wagons from mainly German manufacturers, which were then sub-leased or hired to customers.
The company was started through an invitation to manufacture and manage new rail vehicles for Ford Europe
Ford Europe
-History:Ford of Europe was founded in 1967 on the merger of the British and German divisions of the Ford Motor Company. The original Ford Transit range of panel vans launched in 1965, was the first formal co-operation between the two entities, simultaneously developed to replace the German Ford...
in 1979, to allow transportation of motor vehicle sub-assemblies between various European factories. By 1997 jointly owned by Australian
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
business services company Brambles Industries
Brambles Industries
Brambles Limited is a support services business listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.-History:Brambles traces its history to 1875, when Walter Bramble began his career in Newcastle, north of Sydney, Australia. Brambles Industries Limited first listed in Australia in 1954...
, the company was purchased by GE Capital Services.
In May 1998, GE bought International Wagon Services Ltd in Bromley, Kent United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which operated 2,100 railway wagons under the Tiphook
Tiphook
Tiphook plc was a United Kingdom headquartered transport services company, registered on the London and New York stock markets, which became the world’s second largest marine container leasing business in the 1990s...
brand. The two brands were combined under the joint name of Cargowaggon IWS, as a division of GE Capital Railcar Services.
By 1999, the newly named GE Rail Services had integrated Cargowaggon GmbH and International Wagon Services Ltd/Tiphook Rail Ltd, resulting in a company with offices in the UK, Germany, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The company had in excess of 4,600 wagons, of which 2,000 were suitable for Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
traffic. The fleet covers sectors including intermodal, automotive, infrastructure, construction, steel, hazardous and general cargoes.
British Rail VGA
British Leyland had used rail to transport a wide range of car parts between their various factories, particularly engines. In the late 1960s, BR modified some of its very large four wheeled ferry vans in the late 1960s, sub coded under TOPS as VQX. Via taught weather proof vinyl side curtains, these wagons allowed easy access to load a number of palletised engines. Ford started using the same wagons in the UK, including on cross-channel traffic to Germany.In the late 1970s, Ford had sub-contracted its inter-factory transport to Danzas
Danzas
DHL Global Forwarding, formerly known as DHL Danzas Air & Ocean, is a division of Deutsche Post DHL providing air and ocean freight forwarding services...
. As the UK had the most restrictive loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
in European railways, the two jointly approached British Rail to agree a new design, which resulted in Ford placing an order for private owner wagons with Cargowaggon to make a replacement for the ageing VQX. The result was a 45 feet (13.7 m) twin-axle sliding door all metal van. The design proved so successful, that in the early 1980s Ford again approached Cargowaggon for a new design, this time a slightly longer 47 feet (14.3 m) twin-axle sliding door all metal van, which was adapted by British Rail to become the VGA.
Cargowaggon IGA
So successful was the project for Cargowaggon, they extended the project. The problem of the twin axle design was that although its short length meant that it easily fitted on the cross-English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
rail ferry, its long wheelbase restricted the minimum radius on which it could be used. The resultant dlonger length wagon, based on a twin EVA bogie, twin axle design, the IGA spawned three basic variants:
- Curtain sided
- Sliding metal door
- Open flat waggon
The Cargowaggon IGA is now the most commonly used trans-European railway wagon, particularly popular since the opening of the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
, resulting in a design which has been improved over the developing years as opposed to replaced.