ČD Cargo is a modern, dynamic company building its future on four pillars: interoperability, expansion into foreign markets, intermodality, and social responsibility. It is not only the largest rail freight carrier in the Czech Republic but also one of the most prominent players in the European rail market.
ČD Cargo provides transportation for bulk commodities as well as products with high added value, including intermodal transport. The company reliably handles exceptional consignments, dangerous goods, humanitarian aid, and military equipment. It is the only carrier in the Czech Republic offering both full train and single wagonload services, presenting an environmentally friendly alternative to road freight transport by trucks and vans. ČD Cargo operates an individual wagonload system across the entire network of the Railway Administration.
In the spirit of expansion abroad
In 2023, ČD Cargo transported more than 59.4 million tonnes of goods and contributed a net profit of 327 million CZK to the consolidated financial results of the ČD Group. Tomáš Tóth, chairman of the board of ČD Cargo, stated that the growing profit is primarily due to the successful foreign operations of the ČD Cargo Group as well as due to increased pricing necessary to balance rising costs. Transport performance increased in both its branches in Austria and Germany, with traditionally higher performance noted in the Polish and Slovak subsidiaries as well. For instance, CD Cargo Poland set a record with five million tonnes of goods transported. “Our expansion abroad responds to our customers‘ increasing demands for international transport and the growing pressure on quality and reliability. Over sixty percent of our transport is international, meaning it either starts, ends, transits, or does not traverse the Czech Republic at all,” says Tomáš Tóth.
State-of-the-art simulator for train drivers.
Shift in the makeup of goods
The year 2023 was full of global changes that significantly influenced ČD Cargo‘s activities. Key factors include the ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict in Israel, and attacks by militant organizations threatening ships in the Suez Canal. Other factors included the ongoing industrial recession, a decline in construction production, high energy prices, and inflation. ČD Cargo continually adapts to changes in the makeup of goods transported by rail, aiming to counter the significant drop in solid fuel transport to power and heating plants due to the decarbonization of the energy industry. “In addition to traditional commodities, ČD Cargo is focusing on the gradually developing transport of biomass, solid alternative fuels, waste, and other circular economy products that could partially replace the transport of coal in the future,” comments Tomáš Tóth.
Innovation
In 2023, the ČD Cargo Group invested three billion CZK primarily in the renewal and modernization of its vehicle fleet, which now includes two Vectron locomotives with Last Mile modules and additional high-capacity tank wagons for fuel transport. The project for implementing the ETCS safety system continued intensively to ensure ČD Cargo????s readiness for exclusive ETCS operation on selected routes starting in January 2025. Investments were also directed towards IT, leading to an interesting new feature for customers in the ability to track consignments via the ČDCgo mobile application.
Enhancing safety
ČD Cargo also places great emphasis on increasing rail transport safety. In September 2023, the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) awarded it the Single Safety Certificate for the maximum period of five years. The certificate was issued in full scope for freight transport, including the transport of dangerous goods in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria (now also including transport to border stations in Italy). “We are one of the first major carriers to receive this new type of certificate. It‘s a milestone on our journey, and we value it greatly. It serves as feedback on our activities in Europe,” commented Tomáš Tóth. Another safety initiative was the acquisition of a new simulator for train drivers. This modern device, a faithful replica of a Vectron locomotive driver‘s cab, will be used for the training of all ČD Cargo drivers. The drivers will undergo mandatory individual training every two years in the machine. The simulator allows for practicing various scenarios, including responses to signal system failures on the track or driving under the ETCS system, preparing crews for extraordinary situations that may occur during operations. The use of the NavTrain mobile application for drivers, which improves awareness and reduces the risk of human error caused by a lapse in attention, is now considered standard.
ČD Cargo‘s fleet also includes modern large-capacity tank wagons.
Social responsibility
ČD Cargo is a socially responsible company. In 2020, it was the first to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on reducing energy consumption. Measures implemented in 2023 (the agreement is evaluated retrospectively) resulted in a reduction of energy consumption by 57,127 MWh and a decrease in CO2 emissions by 12,467 tonnes. Despite the challenging situation in the energy industry, ČD Cargo offers customers the option of transport using electricity generated from renewable sources to help reduce their carbon footprint. In terms of CSR, ČD Cargo focused on sustainability, efficient energy use, transporting humanitarian goods, actively supporting the ČD Group‘s endowment fund ŽELEZNICE SRDCEM, and supporting employee and youth leisure activities. The company also promotes rail freight transport. An interesting initiative was the collaboration on the Lemkin Train project, which aims to spread the legacy of Raphael Lemkin, the author of the term genocide and the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
ČD Cargo, a.s.
Transports 60 million tons of goods
Operates rail transport in seven European countries
750 locomotives
Over 20,000 freight cars
6,300 employees
