Kalmar Bags Lineas Intermodal Order

The provider of cargo handling solutions Kalmar has been awarded a contract to supply leading European rail operator Lineas Intermodal with two Kalmar Hybrid Straddle Carriers, said its parent company Cargotec.

The order was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q3 order intake with delivery scheduled to be completed in Q1 2020.

Being the largest private rail freight operator in Europe, Lineas operates the intermodal rail connected terminal ‘Main Hub’ in Antwerp-North.

The company’s Green Xpress network concept offers customers a door-to-door solution with daily, fast and reliable rail connections between Europe’s economic hubs, significantly improving the supply chain and the ecological footprint of its customers. Lineas Intermodal’s equipment fleet already includes four Kalmar straddle carriers.

The Kalmar Hybrid Straddle Carriers will help Lineas Intermodal significantly reduce both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions when compared to using traditional diesel-powered machines. Hybrid machines also generate much less noise than their diesel counterparts.

The Kalmar Hybrid Straddle Carrier also features a maintenance-free regenerative energy system that converts braking and spreader lowering energy into electrical power and stores it in a state-of-the-art on-board lithium-ion battery system.

The machines delivered to Lineas Intermodal will have a four-high stacking capacity and a lifting capacity of 40 tons.

Joris Gielen, Head of Supply Chain Management, Lineas Intermodal: “Kalmar is a long-term partner of ours and an industry leader in eco-efficient cargo-handling technologies. We have been extremely satisfied with the Kalmar straddle carriers in our fleet and the local service support, and are looking forward to taking advantage of the fuel and cost efficiencies the new machines will bring.”

Damien Cols, Director, Global Customers, Kalmar: “We're extremely pleased that our straddle carrier solutions will continue to play a key role in Lineas Intermodal’s daily operations in Antwerp. Eco-efficient hybrid machines offer a fast-track to a more sustainable future for cargo handling operations and are becoming an increasingly popular choice for terminals of all kinds. We’re proud to be able to help the Antwerp hub claim the title of Europe’s first intermodal terminal to adopt hybrid technology. ”