The Rail Initiative aims to enhance the efficiency, reliability and utilisation of rail transport within Finished Vehicle Logistics (FVL). By addressing key challenges and unlocking rail’s full potential, the initiative seeks to drive meaningful improvements for the industry.
To support this effort, ECG partnered with Infront Consulting to conduct the Expert Study on the State of Finished Vehicle Logistics on Rail in Europe 2024. The study identifies critical barriers to rail transport and provides valuable insights for overcoming them.
Building on these findings, the Rail Initiative Steering Group, chaired by Andreas Sundl (COO, Hödlmayr International), has been established to coordinate the various Rail Working Groups targets. Its focus is on developing concrete actions that improve operational efficiency and drive industry-wide collaboration. OEMs are invited to actively contribute to the Rail Initiative to ensure a holistic approach to rail logistics.
Chair of the Rail Initiative Steering Committee
Andreas Sundl
Hödlmayr International
Rail Catalogue
The Rail Catalogue was published in November 2025, designed to improve visibility and coordination between rail operators and automotive compounds. It provides key data from European automotive compounds, including track numbers and lengths, available loading and unloading equipment, opening hours and contact details, supporting smoother operations across the FVL network. It is an easy-to-use tool for the LSPs and can help OEMs as well when setting up their transport operations.
How to join?
For more information or to join the Rail Initiative, please contact Szilvi Kiss.