Rail Cargo Group says it takes on important part of Rijeka haulage

ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is adding 200 double-deck car transport wagons designed for electric vehicles, with 70 already delivered and the remaining 130 planned for 2027.

The order also gives the Austrian freight group new options for car traffic through the Croatian port of Rijeka, where roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels arriving from Asia with cargo that rolls on board, electric cars included, have been calling since August 2026.

Asian car imports through Rijeka

The RoRo calls are shaping a new route for vehicle imports, chiefly between China, Rijeka and destination markets in Europe. Once unloaded, the cars still have to travel inland by rail or by road. RCG says it is taking on an important part of these onward movements with its new wagons.

RCG had already reported on 16 September that it was moving part of the port’s hinterland traffic with its own locomotives and car-carrier wagons. Its TransFER connections to Belgrade and Budapest tie Rijeka directly into the group’s network and give the port a rail outlet towards Central and South-Eastern Europe.

Wagons built for heavier cars

The wagons belong to the Laaers 4371 type. RCG describes them as a European product built in Slovakia but has not named the manufacturer. Each double-deck unit offers a loading length of 30.07 metres.

Data as published by ÖBB on 30 September 2026.

RCG says SUVs and electric vehicles, whose new registrations keep rising, are on average larger and heavier, and that the new wagons are well suited to them, unlike many older car carriers.

Bettina Castillo, who sits on the RCG management board, said automotive logistics is growing and changing at the same time. She named new vehicle imports, the shift towards bigger and heavier cars and the wish for more resilient supply chains as drivers of demand. In her view, the new wagon generation adds capacity and flexibility for imports, exports, production peaks and short-notice requirements.

RCG’s automotive volumes

RCG moves around one million finished vehicles a year, along with roughly 600,000 tonnes of components such as batteries, engines, doors, rims and car bodies for more than 20 international sites.

The group puts rail’s share of new-vehicle transport in Europe at about 60%. It says a single car train can take up to 256 vehicles, which would otherwise need as many as 37 lorry journeys.

For electric cars, batteries and components, RCG also offers multimodal door-to-door services linking production plants, suppliers, carmakers and logistics providers. Delivery of the remaining 130 wagons is planned for 2027.