For many decades, jets called Offenbach have been flying for Lufthansa, and an Airbus A 340-313X since 1998. Now the Swiss Federal Railways have also discovered the city as their namesake: the modern “Offenbach am Main” shunting locomotive not only moves wagons at the local marshalling yard.
Offenbach – your catwalk is decorated with neither red carpets nor fine tulle, but gray steel and coarse gravel. But hardly on tour does the “Offenbach am Main” locomotive from SBB Cargo International, a subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways, become a coveted photo model. Even in Frankfurt. “Half an hour ago I stopped in front of a signal at the Südbahnhof,” says train driver Nathanael Oestreich with a wink, “and passengers waiting on the platform across the street were pulling out their smartphones.”
Now the 12.8 meter long machine is parked at home in the freight yard at the buffer stop. She has been stationed in Offenbach since mid-2020. She was on the way because technicians from the manufacturer Alstrom had inspected her overnight in Waibstadt during a routine check.
Nathanael Oestreich heads the Karlsruhe / Freiburg location of SBB Cargo Germany (SBB CD). Usually. The 200 kilometer tour to Baden Württemberg is a welcome and necessary change for him. The trained train driver must prove annual practical hours in order to extend his driving license. Of course, his colleagues in Waibstadt also spoke to him about the place that adorns the side panels of the tractor with its name, palace, coat of arms and skyline. Even on the tracks of the Frankfurt port railway, the striking Offenbach design is always a topic of conversation among colleagues, reveals Oestreich.
The 67-ton “Offenbach am Main” is a three-axle hybrid locomotive with a total output of 555 kilowatts, that is 755 hp. Your 100 kWh Li-Ion battery is charged overnight and during breaks. The high storage capacity enables largely emission-free operation in everyday life. The diesel is only switched on when necessary or when longer journeys are made.
The Offenbach decor on the side panels, along with the silhouette of Feldberg and some Frankfurt skyscrapers, cost more than 10,000 euros and “a lot of passion from the employees”, according to the management. Mayor Felix Schwenke is full of praise for this commitment: “The locomotive is a wonderful commitment to Offenbach, which we were happy to accompany from the very first moment when choosing a motif. With its wonderful design, the machine is a good and visible ambassador for our location. “
The Swiss can, as the saying goes, watches. Thanks to their lean structures, experts also consider their railways to be precise and efficient. Since December 2018, SBB Cargo Deutschland has been using the former marshalling yard in Offenbach as the central hub for ChemOil Logistics AG’s international liner train service. The Chemie-Link connects European economic centers.
The headquarters of SBB Cargo Germany with a total of 350 employees is in Duisburg. Offenbach is one of four regional locations. From here, for example, Cologne, Karlsruhe, Ludwigshafen, Switzerland, Italy and France are served. In 2020, the company relocated and dispatched 11,716 freight wagons, weighing a total of 960,712 gross tons, between Laskabrücke and the New Cemetery. The trains going south bypass Offenbach city center via Hanau and thus avoid the overloaded network in Frankfurt.
According to coordinator Dieter Neidel, Offenbach is also an ideal location for new markets towards Eastern Europe thanks to its central location and existing infrastructure. If there is a corresponding demand, the company is ready to deliver wagons to customers on the “last kilometer”. “Goods belong from the road to the rail,” says Neidel.
SBB CD has rented 13 of the 15 existing tracks in the marshalling yard. In 2010, Deutsche Bahn AG closed freight handling in Offenbach, although five years earlier it had extensively renovated rails and sleepers here. At most, a few construction site vehicles wintered on the area from then on. The city of Offenbach is developing its western part into a residential and commercial area.
Steffen Volkmer, member of the management of SBB CD: “We feel very comfortable in Offenbach and are grateful to the city administration for the unbureaucratic support in the search for a suitable property”.
With the help of the economic development agency, Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke, the company has found 220 square meters of office space for its branch on the former Mercedes site. The regional activities are coordinated from there. “This is good for Offenbach”, says the mayor, “we want to locate companies and jobs from different and future-proof industries”.
18 employees, including twelve train drivers, are stationed in Offenbach. According to Markus Gersberg-Werner, member of the Railway and Transport Union (EVG), the Swiss were among the good guys in a highly competitive market. The company adheres to the high quality and safety standards and trains itself.
The company pays according to the tariff plus labor market allowance. The train drivers receive a Bahncard-100. With a 39-hour week, they can work nine days in a row and then take five days off. A model that is particularly valued by long-distance commuters, including those who work in Offenbach.
From Matthias Müller
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