Vienna-headquartered Rail Cargo Group (RCG), the freight railway arm of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), is looking to boost its automotive transport capacity considerably by purchasing 200 new double-deck car-carrier wagons.

The fleet renewal will be done in 2 stages. The first programme consists of 70 Laaers wagons and 130 further units will be delivered in 2027. The investment will also support the development of automotive rail traffic in the Port of Rijeka, Croatia.

The new wagons built in Slovakia are 30.07 metres long loaded. Their design is a reflection of the auto industry’s changing needs, especially the growth of SUVs and electric vehicles. These models tend to be larger and heavier than a normal passenger car . This requires special rolling stock to handle a variety of vehicle sizes while allowing for operational flexibility .

“The automotive logistics is in change and the demand for efficient transport solutions is growing,” said Bettina Castillo, Member of the Management Board of Rail Cargo Group.

The development and evolution of automotive logistics is key. “New vehicle imports, the trend toward larger and heavier vehicles, and the demand for more resilient supply chains are driving the need for high-performance logistics solutions,” Castillo said.

“The next generation of car-carrying wagons will be more capacious and flexible, enabling RCG to react faster to import and export movements, production peaks and short-term market needs,” she said.

The expansion is also part of a wider strategy to enhance automotive logistics in the northern Adriatic region.

From August 2026 the Port of Rijeka will receive Ro-Ro ships with cars from Asia, mainly China, for distribution to the markets of Central and Southeastern Europe. RCG carries a part of the onward rail transport to destinations inland with own locomotives and specialized car-carrier wagons.

The Austrian group has already connected Rijeka to its European freight network via its TransFER rail links to Budapest and Belgrade. These services give access to key markets in Central Europe and the Balkans.

RCG is also set to take delivery of another 200 wagons, increasing its ability to cope with rising volumes of vehicles, and also helping to establish new automotive supply chains connecting maritime gateways with inland European markets.