International & UK Railway News Sunday 26th May 2013

 

 

From our media partnerMena Rail News

Oman Land Transport and Infrastructure Summit 2013

 

 

 

 

How to develop a safe and efficient land transportation network within Oman and the GCC, in order to boost economic development.

 

Oman’s infrastructure is on the verge of a huge expansion, with numerous road projects, bridge structures, tunnel constructions and national railway networks being developed over the next 5 years.

A snapshot of Oman’s infrastructure development:

• US $8bn to be invested for constructing 12,704 KM of road projects
• US $10bn to be invested for developing the national rail project with a vision to connect to other GCC countries
• 7 tunnels to be constructed as part of Daba-Lima-Khasab road project
• Ministry of Transport and Communication intends to invest in state-of-the-art technologies to develop higher quality and safer infrastructure
• Special economic zones developed in DUQM and Sohar, which requires huge infrastructure support in the from of roads, bridges, tunnels and highways

Oman Land Transport Infrastructure Summit 2013 brings together the project owners, contractors, consultants, equipment suppliers and technology providers to share knowledge and network. The summit will support Oman develop its infrastructure projects by implementing state-of-the-art technologies and products, gaining on the success of the last two events. Make sure you are in Muscat, Oman from 8 -11 September 2013!

Benefits of attending Oman Land Transport and Infrastructure Summit 2013:

• Learn about new techniques and technologies to build higher quality infrastructure projects
• Gain an understanding on efficient maintenance techniques to protect infrastructure and avoid maintenance investments in the future
• Develop strategies to overcome challenges with new laws and policies and increase profits mplement
• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to integrate all modes of transportations and boost economic growth
• Develop an efficient safety policy to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities

Why attend:

Developing a modern and integrated logistics and transport infrastructure is an essential part of Oman’s economy diversification strategy. About US $14.8 billion, almost half of the country’s 8th Five-Year Development Plan for 2011-2015, is committed to overhauling roads, ports and airports with the objective to link the three modes of transport to improve interconnectivity.
The third annual Oman Transport Infrastructure Summit 2013 will focus on the implementation and construction of transportation networks across the Sultanate with a focus on land transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, tunnels and railway.

Senior representatives from Omani authorities and transport operators, international and local consultants, contractors, financiers, designers, civil engineers, material suppliers and manufacturers will meet to discuss on-going and future transportation projects, exchange best practices to overcome challenges and share expertise on solutions available to develop cost-effective and sustainable transport infrastructure in the Sultanate.

The road sector dominated the Omani construction market in 2011 with US $1.1 billion worth of contracts awarded, almost half of the total contract awarded last year. The road sector is expected to continue to play an important role in the construction sector in 2013 with firms submitting bids for more than US $600 million worth of roads projects in the fourth quarter of 2011. Infrastructure projects that have been given top priority in the 2012 budget include Al Batinah Expressway with an allocated budget of US $2.6 billion. During the Oman Transport Infrastructure Summit, the authorities will provide an update on the on-going and future land transportation projects and experts will present innovative design, construction and maintenance technologies related to roads, bridges and tunnels.

As part of the ambitious GCC railway project, the 1,061km Oman railway network, to be completed by 2017, is a key component in facilitating domestic, regional and international connectivity and increasing trade exchange while developing industrial activities in the Sultanate. The Ministry of Transport & Communications will develop the organisational and administrative structure for a national railway organisation that will overview the implementation of the US $10 billion programme. A consultancy firm for the design and supervision of the railway project and a project management consultant will be selected this year. The summit will showcase during interactive sessions and a full day workshop, international case studies on railway project design, supervision, management, construction and procurement best practices that will assist the Omani authorities and potential private stakeholders in enhancing their technical expertise on the strategies and solutions to be selected and implemented to develop an efficient railway network across a challenging landscape.

Why you need to attend the Oman Transport Infrastructure Summit

• Identify investment opportunities by learning from the government’s development plan and understand the key challenges in developing the national transport network
• Enhance your knowledge and technical expertise by learning from the latest design and construction solutions available to develop cost-effective and sustainable transport infrastructure
• Find out how to successfully operate and maintain transportation infrastructure
• Anticipate challenges and identify solutions by getting up to speed on the status of ongoing and future projects including roads, airports, ports and railway
• Provide the right products and services by understanding the needs and expectations of transport infrastructure projects owners
• Establish and reinforce business contacts during exclusive networking sessions

What’s new for 2013:

• Focus on land transportation, including roads, bridges, tunnels and railway
• Further international experts benchmarking best practices to develop cost-efficient transport infrastructure in a challenging climate and topography
• Evaluate opportunities for further private sector involvement in the development of transport infrastructure projects through alternative financing models, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
• Exclusive workshop dedicated to railway project design, supervision, management, construction and procurement strategy
• Two days exhibition to showcase products and services to key authorities, decision makers and private stakeholders involved in Oman’s transport market

 

 

 

 

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VTG

 

VTG with a solid start into the year and promising developments in all three divisions

• Significant rise in revenue and EBITDA
• Member of the Executive Board for Logistics and Safety leaves company
• Capacity utilization down slightly, as expected
• Innovation: New bogie type increases payload of new build wagons
• New projects initiated in logistics divisions
• Forecast for 2013 re-affirmed

Hamburg, May 16, 2013. VTG Aktiengesellschaft (WKN: VTG999), one of the leading wagon hire and rail logistics companies in Europe, expanded its business in all three operational divisions in the first quarter of 2013. Revenue for the Group increased by 5.3 percent compared to the first quarter of 2012, from EUR 191.8 million to EUR 202.1 million. There was also an upward trend in EBITDA, which reached EUR 45.0 million, an increase of 9.5 percent on the same period of the previous year (EUR 41.1 million). Operating cash flow increased by EUR 9.2 million to EUR 44.2 million.

“We had a very pleasing start to the new year, with our market position remaining solid”, says Dr. Heiko Fischer, CEO of VTG Aktiengesellschaft. He adds: “After a year of consolidation, we are now again looking out for new opportunities for growth and are confident about the negotiations with Kuehne + Nagel aimed at expanding our rail logistics portfolio”. VTG is currently investigating the possibility of a merger of the Rail Logistics Division with some of the rail forwarding operations of the Kuehne + Nagel group of companies, with VTG as majority shareholder. A letter of intent regarding this was signed in April, with a final decision expected in the second half of 2013.

Femke Scholten, Member of the Executive Board for Logistics and Safety, leaves the company
Femke Scholten, VTG Chief Logistics & Safety Officer is returning to the international corporate sector and left VTG by May 15th 2013. Scholten initiated successfully a major change program in VTG Rail Logistics to enable future growth. Under her leadership, she furthermore developed and started with the execution of mid-term strategies for both logistics divisions to achieve profitable growth. The Supervisory Board thanks Scholten for her achievements and dedication to the company and wishes her all the best for her future endeavors. CEO Dr. Heiko Fischer and CFO Dr. Kai Kleeberg will be stepping in provisionally and will initially be responsible for what were previously Scholten’s executive duties. The Rail Logistics Division and the area of Safety will be headed by Fischer until a successor is found. Kleeberg will be taking charge of the Tank Container Logistics Division, which he had already headed for many years before Scholten’s appointment.

Railcar Division performs well due to large number of completed orders for new wagons
In the Railcar Division, revenue rose by 6.4 percent, from EUR 77.9 million in the first quarter of 2012 to EUR 83.0 million. The trend in EBITDA was also positive, increasing by 12.6 percent from EUR 38.7 million to EUR 43.5 million. The EBITDA margin related to revenue increased compared with the same period of 2012, from 49.6 percent to 52.5 percent. These good results were due mainly to the completion of orders for newly built wagons in 2012 and price adjustments in the Railcar Division.

The level of capacity utilization in the fleet of more than 54,400 wagons declined slightly in the first quarter. Having stood at 90.6 percent on March 31, 2012 and at 90.4 percent at the end of 2012, the level fell to 89.9 percent. Capacity utilization thus still remains at a high level but is being affected by the decline in demand typically seen at the end of winter as well as by the general economic situation. Furthermore VTG actively took the decision to take some wagons back from customers who did not want to accept the full extent of necessary price adjustments arising from new and costly maintenance requirements.

As part of VTG’s drive for innovation, all chemical tank wagons built at Waggonbau Graaff in Elze are currently being fitted with a new type of bogie. This new feature increases the load capacity of the wagon, meaning that the existing tank capacity can be better utilized, or, if required, the size of tank itself can be enlarged. This measure increases cost efficiency and makes rail transports even more environmentally friendly.

Rail Logistics negotiates with Kuehne + Nagel
In the first quarter of 2013, Rail Logistics generated revenue of EUR 79.6 million, a 5.8 percent increase on the first quarter of 2012 (EUR 75.3 million). EBITDA shrank by 29.2 percent to EUR 1.7 million (Q1 2012: EUR 2.4 million). However, comparison with the figure for the fourth quarter of 2012, of EUR 1.1 million, reveals that the division indeed managed to push EBITDA up again slightly. Compared with the first quarter of 2012, the EBITDA margin on gross profit shrank from 36.2 percent to 28.0 percent, but again this was also higher than the figure for the fourth quarter of 2012 (19.3 percent).

The new year got off to a positive start in the petrochemical goods and industrial goods product segments. In industrial goods, the new transports of aluminum and copper initiated in 2012 are continuing in 2013. The collaborative venture under negotiation with Kuehne + Nagel would greatly strengthen this product segment. The division’s performance is however being affected by the fact that the market for agricultural transports remains very difficult in some regions.

Tank Container Logistics holds its own and develops new services
In the first three months of the financial year, revenue in Tank Container Logistics amounted to EUR 39.5 million. This represented a 2.3 percent increase on the first quarter of 2012 (EUR 38.6 million). EBITDA shrank by 6.4 percent compared with the first quarter of 2012, standing at EUR 2.9 million (Q1 2012: EUR 3.1 million). The EBITDA margin on gross profit shrank to 44.4 percent (Q1 2012: 48.5 percent).

In the first quarter of 2013, the division continued to operate in a highly competitive environment. Thus Tank Container Logistics took on only carefully selected orders and curbed expansion of transport volume. These measures were taken to systematically eliminate no-load transports in its international flows of transport and so increase profitability. The division thus continued with its strategy of achieving further growth by concentrating on a select group of customers in specific product areas. This strategy is underpinned by carefully targeted investment in appropriate technical features and equipment, enabling the division to meet in particular the requirements of those customers who demand a higher level of service than that provided with purely standard transports. In this regard, the division has decided to add to the range of services it offers to customers the future option of overland transports within China using its own equipment.

VTG expects continued upward trend in business

Based on economic estimates and the expected impact on the VTG divisions, the Executive Board anticipates a continued positive trend in business. This applies especially to the Railcar Division, which will benefit in particular in 2013 from the orders for new wagons completed in the previous year. Both logistics divisions face the challenge of holding their own in a demanding market. The Executive Board of VTG re-affirms its forecast, anticipating that the VTG Group will achieve revenue in the range EUR 780 - 830 million and EBITDA in the range EUR 180 - 190 million.
At the Annual General Meeting next week, VTG will be proposing the payment of a dividend of EUR 0.37 per share for the financial year 2012. This represents an increase of some 6,0 percent on the previous year.