The Train to Peru Departs From Spain, stopping at Chile, Panama, and Mexico

Metro rail cars heading to Lima has been rolled from truck transport to the railed mafi and is waiting to be loaded.  Photographs – Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean

Date 16 November 2018

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean recently helped two major railcar manufacturers ship 20 railcar units from Spain to Chile, Panama, Peru and Mexico.

Major cities all around the world are investing heavily in rail projects to move an ever-increasing population around quickly and efficiently. Nowhere can this be seen more than in the capital cities of Latin America.

With the help of WW Ocean, two major railcar manufacturers recently shipped 20 railcars units. Five fully-built units to each of Chile, Panama, and Peru, and five more railcar shells without bogies to Mexico. Thanks to WW Ocean’s global network of direct and transhipment routes, the Tombarra vessel handled the cargo for all four rail projects. This reduced the complexity in the loading port of Santander, Spain.

While today’s ocean-going vessels are far different from the train ferries of the past, the principle is still the same: rail equipment is simply rolled on and off the vessel via a stern ramp with no lifting needed. WW Ocean vessels possess some of the tallest decks of any ocean carrier, so the size of the railcars is rarely an issue.

“These two customers know us well and for them the most important factor is safety”, says Alex Hernandez from WW Ocean’s Spain office. “Our concept of horizontal handling – where lifting the wagons is not required – was important to them to help reduce risk”, says Alex Hernandez.

To achieve such a smooth handling, 62-feet railed roll trailers were used to carry the fully-built rail units. As the shells were without bogies, the manufacturers designed a special support framework so they could be securely carried on WW Ocean’s specialised roll trailers.

“This process required some back-and-forth on the design options, based on the dimensions and weight of their units and our equipment so we could be sure there would be a safe and secure solution”, adds Alex.

With the help of WW Ocean, two major railcar manufacturers recently shipped 20 railcars units. This is railcars waiting to be loaded on the vessel and shipped to Panama and Lima.

To achieve such a smooth handling, 62-feet railed roll trailers were used to carry the fully-built rail units.

Loading the 20 railcars took 5 to 6 hours. The railcars completely filled the main deck of the vessel. 

Roll trailers are loaded on the main deck by stevedores that are specially trained to handle sensitive cargo.

 Timing is critical for the delivery of rail cars to meet a tight project schedule. WW Ocean offers a stable liner service with a regular published timetable, which gives customers a good opportunity to plan ahead. This reduces both their risks and overall costs.

The shipment was successfully made in just 18 days to Veracruz, Mexico, up to 32 days for the delivery to San Antonio, Chile.

Source WW Ocean