Components of the railway industry are heavy, long and rarely travel within standard dimensions: long rails, bogies, wheelsets, switch parts or complete locomotive modules demand special-transport experience, clean permit management and equipment that matches the load. Speed Logistics plans and drives these transports as a direct transport – from the manufacturing plant to the maintenance works, to the depot or straight to the track site, across Europe and to non-EU countries including customs clearance.
You receive a fixed-price quote within a few hours, including CMR insurance and live GPS tracking. Permits, route checking and – where prescribed – the BF3 escort are organised by our dispatch team as well, so your project schedule holds. From a single wheelset to a multi-part project load across several vehicles, we coordinate all packages from a single source – including a coordinated arrival sequence at the unloading point.
Typical transports for rail manufacturers and maintainers
- Rails and long material on suitable trailers with tailored load securing for over-lengths
- Bogies and wheelsets on heavy-haul low loaders, precisely to the repair or maintenance works
- Locomotive and car-body modules as an escorted special transport with permit
- Switches, signalling technology and track superstructure material on time to the track site during possessions
- Urgent spare parts by van or curtainsider truck when a vehicle in the works is waiting for a component
Special transports with permit and BF3 escort
If the load exceeds the length, width or weight of the standard dimensions, we take over the complete permit process: we check the route for bridge loads and clearance heights, apply for the transport permits and provide BF3 escort vehicles where needed. You receive a realistic schedule including night-driving windows – and a contact who accompanies the transport through to unloading.
Time is the critical factor here: permit procedures for special transports need lead time, which varies by federal state and route. The earlier we know dimensions and weights, the more reliably we hold your date – on recurring lanes we use existing permits and thus noticeably shorten the lead time.
Delivery to the track site and works
Track construction projects work in tight possessions, maintenance works with scheduled downtimes. Our process ensures that material is there when the time window begins:
- Enquiry with dimensions, weight, loading and unloading points and time window or possession
- Feasibility and route check, then a fixed-price quote usually within a few hours
- Coordination of unloading with the site management or works logistics, including crane or gantry unloading by the recipient
- Live GPS tracking and proactive status updates through to the signed delivery
We also handle works relocations and machine moves within the rail industry: several loads, a fixed sequence, one responsible person. That way production is up and running faster at the new location. On request we also coordinate crane provision and dismantling dates with your partners on site.
Export of rail technology to non-EU countries
Rail technology increasingly goes to markets outside the EU – such as Türkiye, North Africa or Central Asia. We drive these lanes as direct transports and handle the complete customs clearance from EXW to DDP, including transit procedure. Costs depend on dimensions, weight, lane, permit effort and time window; escort vehicles and special equipment are itemised separately in the fixed price. Send us your package list – we will get back to you shortly with a solid quote. For projects with several part deliveries we prepare an overall calculation across all transports on request – that creates budget certainty across the entire project duration.