Hapag-Lloyd and VTG-LEHNKERING acquire Brambles European Rail
Division
Expansion of rail freight activities
Sydney/Hamburg (ots)
Hapag-Lloyd and VTG-LEHNKERING in cooperation with M.M. Warburg & CO are acquiring the European rail logistics activities of the Australian Brambles Group. VTG-LEHNKERING will be responsible for operations management for all partners involved. The acquisition is subject to the approval by the cartel authorities.
The Brambles European Rail Division engages in wagon hiring and forwarding services with about 19,000 freight rail cars of its own and 2,400 managed units. The company has representative branches all over Europe. In the 2000 financial year, it achieved sales of approx. 144 million euros with 160 employees. Brambles achieved sales of approx. 74 million euros with 720 employees in four workshop facilities in Germany, U.K. and France. Brambles Group, which is based in Sydney and London, decided to shed these activities in the context of a portfolio reorientation.
For Hapag-Lloyd Group, with the acquisition rail logistics services will become a further core business area alongside international liner shipping. With the integration of the Brambles rail logistics services, the group will also promote European freight transport by rail and make it more competitive.
VTG-LEHNKERING AG (Hamburg), whose majority shareholder is Hapag-Lloyd AG, leases about 18,000 rail tank cars throughout Europe. It also manages about 8,000 high-capacity freight rail cars via Transwaggon Group. With the international rail forwarder Transpetrol and its stake in the private railway company rail4chem, VTG-LEHNKERING has consistently expanded its business area "integrated rail logistics" in recent years.
VTG-LEHNKERING also provides logistics services particularly for the chemical and oil sectors with its own inland waterway vessels, tank containers and tank trucks as well as tank farms and hazardous goods stores.
Hapag-Lloyd AG, Public Relations, Tel.: 040 - 3001 2529
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