Nexxiot, the Zurich-based digital technology specialist, has struck a deal with Cargo Wagon, the Slovakian leasing company. The deal will see the Cargo Wagon fleet of goods wagons fitted with the Swiss company’s Globehopper branded monitoring package. Both partners say the project will enhance rolling stock performance.

The expanding Swiss company Nexxiot, which promotes itself as a pioneer and industry leader in the development and delivery of digital supply chain management, has started work on a contract with Cargo Wagon of Slovakia, the leasing company with a fleet for hire of around 9000 wagons. The initial project covers 1200 wagons deployed in Poland and Austria.

Keep up with digital trends

Cargo Wagon was formed fifteen years ago as part of the reorganisation of the state administered railway industry in Slovakia. Since then, the company has sought to keep up with the rapidly modernising industry across the Continent.

As part of the Europe-wide trend towards digitalisation of railway operations, the deal marks a significant move forward for Cargo Wagon, and gives Nexxiot a further stake in its own target markets. “We will work closely with Nexxiot on improving maintenance of our railcars, fleet management, and delivering value added services”, said chief operating officer Pavel Holomek in a statement from Cargo Wagon.

Extensive digital experience

Nexxiot began fitting the fleet last month.“Cargo Wagon is a key player on the freight wagon market in central and eastern Europe”, said the Nexxiot chief executive Stefan Kalmund. He added that Nexxiot would support Cargo Wagon as a partner with their expertise in the digitalisation of the rail sector. They already have extensive experience in the field, including completing a contract to digitally connect tankers for VTG of Hamburg. VTG took a stake in Cargo Wagon in 2015.

Currently, Nexxiot has equipped around 50,000 transport assets worldwide, such as freight wagons and tank containers, with sensor packages. Between 3,000 and 4,000 monitors are being added each month.

Digital innovation elsewhere

Digital railway innovation is rapidly gaining ground across Europe. The widely publicised transnational projects and modernisation programmes all depend to a large degree on Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to improve operability, and ultimately margins, across the industry.

In the UK, the First of a Kind 2020 Rail Innovation Programme, funded by the UK government and designed to encourage the adoption of IoT technology, has already started to deliver projects. These include proactive infrastructure monitoring and alert systems, which should improve safety and infrastructure availability. The massage all across Europe is that the future on the railway line is highly dependant on being online.

Main image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay