KEY FACTS

The history of RTB CARGO is closely intertwined with the history of Rurtal railway and therefore, with the town and district of Düren. Already in 1996, Rurtal railway has started delivery tours of different goods by rail as an alternative to road logistics. First freight locomotives were purchased in 2000

On 26^th November 2002 the Supervisory Board of Rurtalbahn GmbH passed a resolution on the sale of 74.9 % of shares in RATH GmbH. Together with the district of Düren, RATH GmbH is now not only the operator of regional passenger rail transport in Düren, but also of the goods transport division.

As early as in 2005 Rurtal railway decided to expand its goods transport. Shares in TrainsporT AG in Belgium were purchased in 2006, and Rurtalbahn Cargo Benelux B.V. was incorporated in 2007. The goods transport division of Rurtal railway has continued to develop until it has become a goods transport company on an international scale and now operates the largest sea ports of Europe at first hand

Due to the strong growth of the goods transport division of Rurtal railway, also during the financial crisis of 2008, the goods transport was span-off into an independent limited liability company under the name of Rurtalbahn Cargo GmbH. One year later, Rurtalbahn Cargo moved from Düren to Aachen where new premises were acquired

In cooperation between Rurtalbahn Cargo GmbH and RATH subsidiary, VISCOM Datensysteme GmbH, software products were developed in the area of planning, control centre, marketing and controlling. Rurtalbahn Cargo GmbH increasingly resorted to in-house software products and developed them by a continuous exchange with the colleagues from VISCOM

In 2016 Rurtalbahn Cargo changed its name to RTB CARGO. Henceforth, the company has operated under the same brand name in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The year before, in december,  RTB CARGO also expanded to Austria and opened an office in Bergheim near Salzburg

On 10 December 2018, RTB CARGO took delivery of the company’s own locomotives for the first time. Locomotives 193 791 and 193 792 carry the corporate livery of ultramarine blue. Locomotive 193 791 communicates the slogan ‘Gemeinsam durch Europa’ (‘Together through Europe’), while Locomotive 193 792 depicts a drivers’ cab, thereby advertising LUKAS, the group’s internal training centre. The motto is ‘Mit uns auf die Zugspitze’ (‘Let’s be the engine of change’).

Expansion continues at the freight transport division of the RATH Group. To mark the foundation of RTB CARGO HUNGARIA Kft. in 2020, RTB CARGO has established new headquarters at Győr in Hungary. RTB CARGO AUSTRIA has received Part B safety certification for Hungary which is valid to June 2025. The new entity will run its first trains in August.

In June 2023, RTB CARGO took delivery of the first of four Stadler Euro9000 locomotives. With electric and diesel power, it enables the handling of large loads and completely new operating concepts. In addition, the hybrid solution ensures the integration of the last mile and non-electrified lines. The high-performance locomotive enables handling along the most important European freight corridors.