CONTAINER TRAIN “LOVOR”
One month ago, after a long break, the first container train called “Lovor” started operating on the line Belgrade-Bar. This is a kind of so-called “door-to-door” transport, the most suitable mode for the transport of numerous containers. Beside Serbian Railways, organizers of this rail-port transport offer are the Port of Bar, Montenegro Railways and The Railway Integral Transport Belgrade, – said Director General of Serbian Railways, Milanko Sarancic, at the press conference, organized at the premises of Blue Train, on April 27, on the occasion of the 29th International Tourism Fair in Belgrade.
According to his words, in spite of the existing railway line, container trains haven’t been operating for a long period of time, since there weren’t a sufficient number of containers at the Port of Bar. The containers were usually transported by road. At the end of 2006, due to the increased number of containers coming from Bar to Serbia and abroad, the negotiations on the introduction of new container train have been intensified.
– New transport offer will bring significant effects, new position on the transport market and increasing volume of work on Serbian Railways. The price of container transport is very competitive, and it includes transport by truck at the distance up to 50 kilometers, custom charges and delivery to the industrial branch, – specified Sarancic.
For example, one-way transport of a fully loaded container, six meters long, amounts 371 Euros, or 128 Euros if not loaded. Therefore, total transport price (empty container in one direction, and loaded in another), on the route Belgrade–Bar–Belgrade amounts 499 Euros.
Transport of a container twelve meters long, fully loaded, in one direction, costs 430 Euros, and 169 Euros if empty. Therefore, total transport price (empty container in one direction, and loaded in another), on the route Belgrade–Bar–Belgrade amounts 599 Euros.
– In order to increase container transport, on May 3, “Serbian Railways” and “Montenegro Railways” will start preparing the gradient profile for the transport of 45-feet containers “HIGH CUBE” (13 meters long), which are usually being used, – concluded Sarancic and mentioned the increase of transport volume on the line Belgrade-Bar.
Director General of The Port of Bar, Slobo Pajovic had a word about the activities they were carrying out in order to accelerate and improve the transfer and transport as well, gaining more containers for the new “Lovor” Train.
– Thanks to the new train, The Port of Bar, as well as the railway transport on the line Belgrade-Bar, are today more competitive than the lines Kopar-Belgrade and Rijeka-Belgrade, and our company expects to gain better position in the region – he pointed out.
President of the Board of Directors of “Montenegro Railways”, Miodrag Gomilanovic specified that Montenegrin railway company put a great effort to make container transport on this line operate in accordance with the timetable, expressing his contentment with the cooperation with “Serbian Railways”.
– Introducing container transport provided faster, cheaper and safer long-distance transport, along with greater flexibility of delivering goods and satisfying the needs of our customers, as well as significant environment preserving effects, – said Gomilanovic.
Deputy Director General of Serbian Railways, Miroljub Jevtic also attended the pressd conference, as well as the Director of CIP Institute of Transportation Milutin Ignjatovic, member of the Board of Directors of the Port of Bar Miodrag Ilickovic and Executive Director of “Montenegro Railways” Blazo Saban.
According to the timetable of “Lovor” Train, one container set will be operating a week, while the promotional period will last till the end of June this year. During this period, container composition will depart from Bar on Tuesday at 12.30pm, and arrive to Belgrade Station at 6am next morning, after 17 and a half hours of operation. Container train will depart from Belgrade on Friday at 6pm and arrive to Bar at 12.30pm the next day. Furthet operation of these trains, after the promotional period, will depend on demands of economy and will be adjusted by the needs of the market.
All the companies participating in this project specify that, beside necessary know-how and technology, they also have an adequate technical support required for container transport here and abroad, and that the companies in Serbia and Montenegro will benefit the most from the introduction of container trains between Bar and Belgrade.
The statistics say that, last year on the line Belgrade-Bar great increase of freight transport was recorded. There were 17 thousand freight cars operating from Serbia to Montenegro (58 percent more than in 2005), and 10 thousand freight cars received from Montenegro, 44 percent more than the previous year. In 2006, approximately 260 thousand tones of goods were transported between Serbia and Montenegro, which was 59,6 percent more than in 2005. The incomes were about 175 million Dinars, 47,6 higher than in 2005.
PASSENGER COACH FOR THE TRANSPORT OF DISABLED PERSONS
– At the beginning of summer season timetable, from June 16, Serbian Railways will expand their offer by the reconstructed passenger coaches Z1, adjusted for the transport of disabled persons. The aim is to enable persons using wheel chair and their escort to use railway services, – said Miroslav Stojicic, Director of Passenger Transport Department of Serbian Railways, and made a presentation of this new passenger car for the transport of disabled persons, in the presence of numerous journalists and guests.
Demonstrating the procedure of entering the coach by means of special platform, Stojicic said that the first coach would operate on the line Belgrade-Subotica-Belgrade (train composition 540/543), providing disabled persons to enter or leave the train in Novi Sad and Vrbas. Ticket price for Belgrade-Subotica will be 480 Dinars, and 260 Dinars from Belgrade to Novi Sad.
Disabled persons, who attended and participated the demonstration of the procedure of entering the coach, in the conversation with Director general of Serbian Railways, Milanko Sarancic, expressed their praises for this business project and the functionality of the reconstructed coaches.
The coach is modified and adjusted for disabled persons using wheel chair, and enables them to enter safely by the means of special mobile platform. The interior is equipped with vacuum toilet, adjusted for disabled persons. There is a space for a wheel chair and safety mechanism.
The coach was reconstructed in accordance with all international standards.
For the needs of Serbian Railways, “Gosa” Factory from Smederevska Palanka performed the reconstruction. This is the first wagon of this kind, not only in Serbia, but also in the entire region.
Total value of reconstruction works amounts approximately eight million Dinars.
In the next period, Serbian Railways will reconstruct several coaches, operating in domestic and international service.
“CALL CENTER” OPENING ON JUN 16
Beginning with the 16th of June, along with the summer timetable, “Serbian Railways” will open the “Call center”, which will provide the passengers with much higher level of information. The service will be better and improved, enabling Serbian Railways to continue developing their passenger transport offer, – stated the representatives of “Serbian Railways” at the 29th International Tourism Fair.
Call center should provide the optimum service to the customers, supplying them with information by the means of voice mail and phone operators.
Technology of the system operating from Jun 2007 is based on the parallel operation of five operators, with interactive responses through the voice mail. Work of the operators will be supervised, and all the conversations will be recorded. Access to the operators was procured by the leasing of Telecom resources; therefore 30 customers will be able to access the system simultaneously.
Dialing the Call center, passengers will be able to get the information on timetable in international, domestic and urban transport (Beovoz), on ticket prices, timetable modifications, tourist offer (Romantika, BeoRomantika) etc. The plan is to improve the Call center service with the information on commercial programs as well.
In the first phase, Call center will be active on the territory of Belgrade, extend afterward on the territory of Serbia.
“Serbian Railways” are planning to transform the “call center” into “contact center”, introducing SMS, e-mail and fax service. Thus, they will get a communication system with a wide spectrum of services.
Value of the project is approximately 800 thousand Dinars.
INCREASED VOLUME OF TRAFFIC IN THE FIRST QUARTER
In the first quarter of 2007 “Serbian Railways” have significantly increased the volume of transport, comparing to the same period last year.
Consequently, freight transport, presented in tones, was 19,3 percent higher then the same period last year, and 22 percent higher then the period January-March 2006, regarding net kilometer tonnage.
As a result, freight transport incomes have also been increased in the first quarter for 14,6 percent.
Therefore, in 2007, fourth year in a row, “Serbian Railways” are continuing with the trend of constant increase of all the work and business indicators.
