European Railroad Discussion > Auto Ferry Service Begins in Germany

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BERLIN — RDC Deutschland says its new AUTOZUG Sylt car train transported passengers in their vehicles from the island of Sylt to the mainland for the first time it mid-October.

Passengers on board for the maiden voyage, which departed from the DB train station in Westerland / Sylt for Niebüll at 9:40 a.m. as scheduled, included Henry Posner III, founder and owner of Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp.

"I’m delighted to finally be able to offer the people of Sylt, their guests, and anyone whose business takes them to the island by car, a ride on our AUTOZUG Sylt," Posner says.

In spring 2015, RDC Deutschland became the first private rail transport company to be granted a concession for operating car trains on the Sylt route — a ten-year contract for 12 runs per day. The train is an automobile and passenger carrier, similar to Amtrak's AutoTrain, that takes passengers to a ferry service serving the resort island of Sylt. The island straddles the Denmark-Germany border in the North Sea.

"Outfitting the transport wagons with emergency brake cables, loudspeakers, fire extinguishers and special foldable loading ramps was a complicated process. During trial operation, it emerged that further optimizations to the vehicles would make sense. We accomplished all of this calmly and thoroughly, even if it was a real test of patience for everyone involved,” says Jens Arne Jensen, Managing Director of RDC Deutschland.

Following the end of construction and the switch to the Federal Network Timetable 2017 which is valid beginning Dec. 11, AUTOZUG Sylt will take up its regular operation.

I rode this operation in January, 1972.  I assume it was then operated by DB.  Did they get out of the service?   It was a short ride.  We stayed in our cars I think.

I remember that in the early 60's the line ("auto-train") was operated by DB and traveled over a lengthy dike to get to Westerland.  Sounds like times have changed the operation.  Standard gauge trackage with 'auto-loader' cars carried behind passenger cars.

Wish we had a high speed , passanger and auto rail system here in the states.

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