Husa Transportation Group

Husa Transportation Group (formerly Husa Capital) is a group of railfreight, logistics and rail services companies founded in 1998, the group's main business arm on foundation was ACTS Nederland BV (ACTS), founded 1989, an open access freight operator in the Netherlands.

HUSA transportation group
IndustryRail freight transportation, Intermodal logistics
Founded1989 ACTS[1]
1998 Husa Transportation group[2]
Headquarters
ATCS : 's-Hertogenbosch[1]
Husa : Oisterwijk
,
Netherlands
Key people
CEO of ACTS, (1989-2004) :
Ir John Hoekwater[3]
CEO of Husa Group, (2004-) :
Rob van Gansewinkel[1][4]
DivisionsHusa Railway Services
Husa Logistic Services
Husa Rolling Stock Services
SubsidiariesACTS Nederland BV
IMS-Veendam (formerly De Vries transport group)
Rent-a-rail GmbH
RailMotion AG
The Rail Factory BV
Websitehttps://www.husa-logistics.nl

In 2014 the company announced it would exit the rail freight operating business, and dispose of the assets of its 'Husa Transportation Rail Services' (HTRS) subsidiaries.

History

ACTS Nederland BV was founded in 1989, and developed systems for transloading of containerised waste from road to rail without the use of cranes.[note 1] In 1997 the ACTS container service were discontinued by NS Cargo. Subsequently ACTS gained a license to operate as a railway company, and on 16 March 1998 began to operate waste container trains between Groningen and VAM[note 2] in Wijster, becoming the first private Dutch rail company.[5] In 1999 the company began transporting ISO Containers for Vos Logistics.[5]

In 2004 Husa Capital BV obtained a majority of shares in ACTS,[6] Ir John Hoekwater, ACTS's founding director was replaced by Rob van Gansewinkel.[3] By 2004 ACTS had acquired a 7% market share of rail freight in the Netherlands.[7]

In the summer of 2006 ACTS in association with the Dutch railway infrastructure authority ProRail operated test trains on the Betuweroute.[8] In January 2007 ACTS obtained certification to operate on the German rail system.[9]

By January 2008 Husa Capital's stake in ACTS had risen above 90%, and at the beginning of the same year ACTS was reorganised into independent operating companies with rolling stock leasing being taken over by RailMotion AG (Basel, Switzerland); the company inherited over 300 intermodal wagons.[9] On the same date rolling stock maintenance was split into the company The Rail Factory BV based at Apeldoorn and Amersfoort,[9] and specialising in the maintenance of locomotives.[10] A business sub-unit Portfeeders was also formed, to concentrate on 'feeder operations' (shunting) in the Port of Rotterdam.[11]

On 23 January 2008 ACTS obtained certification to operate on the Belgian railway network from the national railway network company Infrabel.[12]

In January 2009 Husa Capital BV renamed itself Husa Transportation Group.[13]

Husa Transportation Deutschland was formed by the acquisition of Rent-a-rail GmbH (railway construction locomotive leasing) and SRS RailService (rolling stock broker) in May 2009.[14]

De Vries Transport Services, based in Veendam was acquired in September 2009[15] after bankruptcy,[16][17] and renamed InterModal Solutions Veendam (IMS-Veendam). The company undertakes road transport,[18] and operates terminals in Veendam and Leeuwarden.[15] Bulk cargo handling (powders and granules) is carried out at Veendam,[19] and warehousing at the Groningen Railport intermodal terminal in Veendam.[20]

In January 2014 the company announced it was to exit the rail freight transportation business, citing uncompetitive infrastructure access costs.[21] The subsidiaries HRTS Nederlands and HRTS Süd were to be offered for sale, whilst rolling stock leasing company Rail Motion, and container shuttle business Shuttlewise were to remain in business.[22]

Group structure

Since the end of 2008 the group is divided into three divisions Husa Railway Services (rail freight and leasing), Husa Logistic Services (intermodal freight) and Husa Rolling Stock Services (locomotive and rolling stock maintenance).[2]

The subdivisions are:[2][13]

  • Husa Railway Services
    • ACTS Railways
    • Portfeeders
    • Husa Transportation Deutschland
  • Husa Logistics Services
    • IMS
    • Shuttlewise, joint venture with Den Hartog Logistics
  • Husa Rolling Stock Services
    • The Railfactory
    • Rail Service Benelux, joint venture with WRS (Westdeutsche Rail Service GmbH.), (Duisburg)

Rolling stock

ACTS

The company began rail operations in 1999, and by 2000 had five 1500 V DC ex-NS Class 1200s,[23] 5 ex-SNCB Class 62 diesel mainline locomotives and ex-Czech Railways diesel shunters built in East Germany.[24] The 1200 electrics and 6700 diesels were modified to work in multiple and were often used in pairs for better performance.[25]

In 2003 three ex-British Rail Class 58s were acquired, which operated until 2009 when EMD Series 66 leased from Mitsui Rail Capital (MCRE) began to replace them.[24] MaK / Vossloh G1206 (light freight and shunting) locomotives also began to be leased on short and long term contracts from MRCE and Angel Trains Cargo after 2004.

In 2008 ACTS started to acquire a second set of 1500 V DC locomotives, former NS Class 1600 machines from Railion Nederlands.,[26] and from 2009 onwards mainline freight locomotives Vossloh G2000 BB were leased from Angel Trains Cargo and MRCE.[24][26]

In 2009 ACTS leased its first Eurosprinter ES 64 F4 quad-voltage freight locomotive.[24][26]

ACTS class Locomotive type Service dates Total units
cumulative		 notes
E 1250 NS Class 1200 1999-2009[24] 5 The locomotives were to be scrapped; ACTS took legal action with an appeal to the Netherlands Competition Authority (Nederlandse Mededingingsautoriteit) since the locomotives had not been offered for sale, and Nederlandse Spoorwegen was not facilitating a sale to potential competitors.[27]
2 units sold to Euro-Express-Treincharter B.V. (EETC)[28]
DH 6000 ČD Class 716[note 3]
DR V 60		 2000- 5 3 units (6003 to 6005) sold to Euro-Express-Treincharter B.V. (EETC)[28]
DE 6700 SNCB Class 62 1999- 5 SNCB numbers 6321, 6325, 6391, 6392 and 6393 were acquired for use,[29] and were renumbered from 6701 onwards.[24][26] 6290 was also acquired for spares.[29]
DE 5800 British Rail Class 58 2003–2009 3 Acquired from EWS, former numbers EWS 58039, EWS 58044, EWS 58038 were renumbered 5811, 5812 and 5814 respectively.[24][30]
G 1206 G 1206 2004–present over 10 Numbers used for the class by ACTS are 7100 and upwards[24][26]
DE Class 66 EMD Series 66 2004- ~5 ~3 in service late 2010
NS Class 1600 2008- 4 Leased from subsidiary RailMotion
Vossloh G2000 BB 2009- 5 ~2/3 in service late 2010
ES 64 F4
 2009- 4 Known as DBAG Class 189 when operating for Deutsche Bahn, leased from MRCE
*Sources[31][32][33][34]

RailMotion

Since the group restructuring in 2008 RailMotion AG owns wagons suitable for heavy 40' ISO containers, 60' ISO containers, and the ACTS container system,[35] the company also owns and leases locomotives inherited from ACTS, as of January 2011 the company has ten ex-NS Class 1600 electric locomotives.[36]

Rent-a-Rail

Rent-a-Rail operates shunting locomotives typically of less than 1000 kW power, additionally one Vossloh G1206 and two re-engined DB Class V 100, and an ex-Deutsche Reichsbahn Class V 100 type are also operated as of 2010.[37][38]

Liveries

The original ACTS livery was a deep blue with a thick horizontal yellow band,[39] intended to be reminiscent of the American Pennsylvania Railroad,[40] some locomotives were painted operated in the livery of one of ACTS customers, Vos Logistics, a livery of black with an orange stripe.[30]

Later machines received a grey green livery; introduced in 2006,[41] The ex-NS 1600 remained in the yellow-grey livery of their previous owner Nederlandse Spoorwegen, whilst other locomotives are in the livery of their leasing company. Some MaK G 1206s used for the Portfeeders subsidiary have received a special livery - slate blue with orange and red shaped diagonal bands.[26]

  • ACTS 5812 in the original blue/yellow livery (2006)
    ACTS 5812 in the original blue/yellow livery (2006)
  • ACTS 1255 in blue/yellow 'USA retro' livery (2007)
    ACTS 1255 in blue/yellow 'USA retro' livery (2007)
  • ACTS 1043 (Vossloh G2000) in Angel Trains livery (2009)
    ACTS 1043 (Vossloh G2000) in Angel Trains livery (2009)
  • Siemens ES64F4 in black MRCE livery with ACTS branding
    Siemens ES64F4 in black MRCE livery with ACTS branding
  • HUSA 1507 (Vossloh G1206) in HUSA livery (2011)
    HUSA 1507 (Vossloh G1206) in HUSA livery (2011)

Notes
  1. The system was named the Afzet Container Transport Systeem, giving rise to the acronym ACTS. (see also ACTS (containersysteem) Dutch language or Abrollcontainer-Transportsystem German language)
  2. Vuil Afvoer Maatschappij (VAM) was a waste disposal company. (See also VAM Dutch language)
  3. The shunters were of Deutsche Reichsbahn V 60 4 axle type (see DR-Baureihe V 60 German language) manufactured at LEW-Hennigsdorf for the Czech railways.

References
  1. "ACTS Nederland BV". investing.businessweek.com. Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  2. "HUSA Transportation Group". www.husatransportation.com (in Dutch and English). Archived from the original on 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  3. "Overname ACTS door Husa Capital". www.railcargo.nl (in Dutch). 30 September 2004. Archived from the original on 24 October 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  4. RailFormation, Spring 2009, p.2
  5. "ACTS Nederland B.V." www.railcargo.nl. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  6. "Sleeper or open track?", Beaufort Business Partners BV, quote "Since 2004 the majority of the company shares have been held by Husa Capital BV"
  7. "Sleeper or open track?", Beaufort Business Partners, fig. 2
  8. "ACTS levert testtrein voor de Betuweroute". www.railcargo.nl (in Dutch). 10 July 2007.
  9. "Railspecialist ACTS kiest voor nieuwe bedrijfsstructuur". www.railcargo.nl (in Dutch). 14 January 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  10. "The RailFactory : kernactiviteiten". www.railfactory.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2011-02-26. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  11. Rolandrail: ACTS/Portfeeders/Railmotion, section : "Beknopte geschiedenis"
  12. "Infrabel Annual Report 2007". ecms.infrabel.be. Infrabel. 1.3 Important events occurring since the end of the financial year, p.86. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011. ACTS obtained a safety certificate on 23 January 2008, and thus became the seventh operator
  13. RailFormation, Spring 2009, p.3
  14. "Husa Transportation Group takes over RaR and SRS RailService". www.railcargo.nl. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  15. "IMS Veendam". investing.businessweek.com. Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  16. "Eska Graphic Board concludes new transport contracts" (PDF). eskagraphicboard.com (Press release). 11 September 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011. following the bankruptcy in August 2009 of the De Vries Transport Group in Veendam
  17. RailFormation, Summer 2010, p.1, col.2, "Intermodal Expert"
  18. "Treindiensten". www.ims-veendam.info (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 January 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  19. "Regionaal bulkvervoer". www.ims-veendam.info (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 14 September 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  20. "Groningen Railport (Veendam)" (PDF). www.groningen-seaports.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  21. "Husa stapt uit spoorvervoer", www.nieuwsbladtransport.nl (in Dutch), 3 January 2014, archived from the original on 27 March 2016, retrieved 12 July 2022
  22. Vosman, Quintus (6 January 2014), "Dutch railfreight company to cease operations", www.railjournal.com, archived from the original on 13 March 2018, retrieved 12 July 2022
  23. RailFormation, Spring 2009, p.8, "10 Years of our own traction and of 1200 locomotives at ACTS"
  24. Rolandrail: ACTS/Portfeeders/Railmotion, section : "Voorheen door ACTS ingezette locomotieven (niet volledig)"
  25. Van NS 1200 naar ACTS 1250, Laurens Pit, pp.98 , "Diesselocs"
  26. Rolandrail: ACTS/Portfeeders/Railmotion, section : ACTS locomotievenoverzicht
  27. Van NS 1200 naar ACTS 1250, Laurens Pit, pp.96-7
  28. "EETC locomotives". www.railfaneurope.net. Archived from the original on 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  29. David de Neef (ed.). "Locomotives des séries 62 et 63 (type 212)". www.belrail.be (in French). Attribution des dépôts. Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  30. "Class 58s in the Netherlands". www.c58lg.co.uk. The Class 58 locomotive group. Archived from the original on 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  31. "ACTS lomomotives and shunters". www.railfaneurope.net. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  32. "Cargo loc's in Nederland" (PDF). www.railfan.nl. 5 September 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  33. "ACTS Nederland B.V." www.privat-bahn.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  34. "ACTS locomotienummers" (PDF). www.acts-nl.com. 2 April 2006.
  35. "Railmotion: Fleet: Overview". www.railmotion.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  36. Rolandrail: ACTS/Portfeeders/Railmotion, section : RailMotion
  37. "RAR locomotives and shunters". www.railfaneurope.net. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  38. "RAR Rent-a-Rail GmbH (früher Rent-a-Rail Eisenbahn-Service AG RAR)". www.privat-bahn.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-01-12.
  39. "Kleurenschema ACTS locomotives" (PDF). www.acts-nl.com (in Dutch). Let op! Onderstaand kleurenschema is het dat ACTS hanteerde tot 1/3/2006. het betreft hier dus de blauwe locomotieven (Translated : "up to 2006 - blue locomotives only!")
  40. Van NS 1200 naar ACTS 1250, Laurens Pit, pp.98 "Kleuren en indienststelling"
  41. "ACTS vernieuwt locatie en huisstijl" (webpage). www.railcargo.nl (in Dutch). 10 July 2007 [9 March 2006]. Retrieved 12 January 2011.

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