Innofreight, an Austrian enterprise that focuses on rentals of freight wagons, self-developed container superstructures and their unloading systems, has delivered yet another innovative solution to the world of rail freight. The BoxOnBox system is focused on freight wagons utilisation on routes, where usually they are only loaded in one direction, such as the transport of raw materials from the North Sea ports to an Austrian steel mill.
In cooperation with DB Cargo, Innofreight has introduced a trainset consisting of 21 2x40 feet InnoWagons on this route. On the way from the Netherlands, they are loaded with hot briquetted iron (HBI), a premium form of direct reduced iron (DRI). This compacted material brings no risk of self-heating, such as in the case of DRI. Due to the height of the material, containers can only be loaded to a limited height. This has created an opportunity for a return trip from Austria. Empty containers can be stacked on one another, and half of the train’s capacity is available for 40- or 20 ft standard ISO containers. This brings an opportunity for a partial return load and minimisation of empty runs. Innofreight successfully tested the BoxOnBox solution in 2022, and, as the company promised, this solution was brought to praxis in 2023.
Innofreight was also intensively testing a solution for DRI transport in 2022. The solution, called DryTainer, has a pyramid shape to minimise the reaction with air as well as dust pollution and can be unloaded using a heavyweight forklift.
BoxOnBox is another empty-run minimisation project for Innofreight. In 2020, the company successfully tested a similar solution – BoxInBox. Standard “deep” Innofreight containers transporting coal and iron ore were used this time. The 20 ft ISO containers were loaded into the Innofreight containers to minimise the empty run, this time connecting Austria with the Adriatic Sea in the Port of Koper.
