{"id":6331,"date":"2025-08-12T16:29:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T14:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lokomotion-rail.de\/interview-with-armin-riedl\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T16:36:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T15:36:00","slug":"interview-with-armin-riedl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lokomotion-rail.de\/en\/interview-with-armin-riedl\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Armin Riedl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We recently had a change in government. What demands do you have for policymakers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We must not lose sight of the goal of shifting freight from road to rail. I miss this clear commitment to rail, but especially to combined transport, in the new coalition’s policy papers. Here, our industry must voice its interests much more assertively in Berlin.<\/p>\n\n

Honestly, would you make the decision to establish an RU or found Lokomotion all over again today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

(laughs) Back then, I didn’t know what was in store for us. Twenty-five years ago, we faced different challenges that were more related to market entry barriers and regulatory approvals. Today, we have to grapple with infrastructure issues, volatile energy markets, and heavy bureaucracy. So every era certainly brings its own challenges. But fundamentally, I would establish a new RU again today\u2014it’s been a lot of fun!<\/p>\n\n

Lokomotion’s first slogan was \u201cQuality on Rail.\u201d How do you view the evolution of punctuality after 25 years?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

With the founding of private RUs and competition with national state railways, quality has improved substantially. However, in recent years we have seen a setback, as the state of the infrastructure significantly hinders standard operations and at times makes them impossible. Here, infrastructure managers must urgently provide us with a viable outlook so that our customers can regain confidence in a stable system.<\/p>\n\n

Our performance would be hard to imagine without many years of successful cooperation with partners. Which longstanding partnerships do you look back on fondly?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

First and foremost, of course, the long and productive cooperation with our shareholders Kombiverkehr, DB Cargo, the Brenner Motorway company, and RTC. But right at the turn of 2024 \/ 2025, our circle of key partners expanded once again, and we successfully built a powerful network.<\/p>\n\n

Looking to the future of Lokomotion, which challenge occupies your mind the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

I clearly see that as all infrastructure-related issues\u2014both from an operational standpoint with the numerous announced and unannounced construction sites \/ line closures, as well as the drastically increasing annual cost burden from track access charges, cancellation fees, etc.<\/p>\n\n

Would you still recommend that young people pursue training as train drivers, despite automation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Absolutely. We were fortunate enough to get many new colleagues interested in this multifaceted profession through our own training academy. We are delighted with every successful graduate, and we also have several colleagues who have found roles in other areas of the company, depending on their personal interests.<\/p>\n\n

And which achievement are you particularly proud of?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Twenty-five years is certainly a long time in such a competitive market. That makes it all the more gratifying that, together, we have succeeded in retaining a large share of our products and volumes over the long term. This applies both to our \u201cbread-and-butter\u201d services on our core Munich\u2013Verona route and to major company train products such as our Bremen\u2013Verona train package. In single wagonload transport as well, we have progressively developed solid solutions for the industry alongside our partner DB Cargo.<\/p>\n\n

Are there products or services that have not developed as originally expected?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We have certainly experienced ups and downs on the Tauern axis. Here, we are heavily dependent on ferry policies and economic developments in Turkey. Nevertheless, Trieste remains an important milestone in our company history and a permanent fixture on our route map. I also expect that we will see a positive trend again once the Tauern closure ends on July 15, 2025.<\/p>\n\n

What do our customers associate with \u201cLokomotion\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Our customers simply value our friendly and solution-oriented approach. Naturally, not everything runs smoothly in daily operations, but we always strive to explain the situation clearly and offer proposals for moving forward. That distinctly sets us apart from other operators. Our customers perceive this as genuine teamwork.<\/p>\n\n

After 25 years, is there still room for optimization?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

I do expect another productivity boost driven by two factors:<\/p>\n\n

1) In Italy, our trains will also transition in the coming years to operating with one driver instead of two.<\/p>\n\n

2) Train lengths must and will move toward 750 meters, and we must also continuously push for optimized trailing load limits.<\/p>\n\n

And already today, with our clay trains from Limburg and Wetzlar, we are demonstrating that our locomotive fleet can flexibly adapt to specific customer requirements\u2014in this case, deploying the EURO9000 with over 2,000 gross metric tons across the Brenner Pass.<\/p>\n\n

What do you like better about Kufstein: the fortress, the Inn River, or our maintenance workshop?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Even though I have fond memories of a Christmas party at the fortress, our workshop in Kufstein is naturally my favorite. We are in an outstanding position there now and can handle almost the entire maintenance spectrum in-house.<\/p>\n\n

Combined transport is your home turf\u2014what excites you about our single wagonload services?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

I appreciate that our \u201cmixed trains\u201d aren’t dependent on just one type of commodity, allowing us some room to \u201cbreathe\u201d depending on market trends. We have a diverse product portfolio and have been advancing these products for years together with DB Cargo and RTC.<\/p>\n\n

A quick guessing game: When will the BBT open? And when will the Brenner Northern Access Route follow?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

I wouldn’t want to place a bet on it, but the BBT will likely be around 2032, and I fear the Brenner Northern Access Route certainly not before 2040.<\/p>\n\n

Which upcoming Lokomotion event are you looking forward to the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Our summer festival on June 29 was simply a wonderful, successful family event. It provided a great opportunity to enjoy engaging conversations in a relaxed setting. I believe we have built a fine tradition with our celebrations at Lokomotion anyway, and our Christmas party is an essential part of a successful year. The train drivers’ meeting in summer is also an established milestone and a welcome chance to reconnect with longtime colleagues and get to know new team members.<\/p>\n\n

Thank you very much for the interview.<\/p>\n\n

Interview: Ruby van der Sluis & Stefanie Spath<\/p>\n\n

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