• More swop-bodies go by train
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IN its report for 1971 Kombiverkehr AG, the German company responsible for piggyback traffic on special trains leased from the Federal Railways, shows a spectacular rise in traffic; 71,600 units were carried (1970: 49.600). more than half were swop-bodies, 40 pc semi-trailers and only eight pc complete lorry and trailer combinations. The average transit distance by rail of 450km showed no change over the 1970 figure. The traffic growth is explained by the wider use made of the service by hauliers using demountable bodies.
In May the Kombiverkehr service was increased by eight additional trains to a total of 26 overnight runs. Earlier this month a new link was added between the Rtihr and West Berlin. The international Cologne-Verona service (620 miles) is still largely regarded as a try-out. Until at least
12 to 14 lorries and trailers use the train regularly the facility is heavily subsidized. The operating company is to introduce a novel pneumatic-tyred side-loader which can handle fully laden swop-bodies or semi-trailers on and off the train in less than three minutes. The US-made equipment is of a type not previously seen in Europe.