Brussels, 19th February 2020 – Rail Freight Forward is proud to announce that Geert Pauwels, CEO of Lineas and one of RFF’s founding members, has won the 2020 European Railway Award. It is the first time the CEO of a rail freight company receives this prestigious prize.
At the 13th annual European Railway Award in Brussels, the European rail sector gathered to honour Geert Pauwels for his contribution to the sector over the past ten years. The award recognizes his efforts to realize the modal shift in Europe.
Libor Lochman, executive director of the Community of European Railways: “The successful privatization of Lineas, its innovative rail offering, and the clear vision for modal shift are a true inspiration. Geert Pauwels has led the way in showing the positive impact of rail, not only as a transport solution, but also as the answer to societal issues such as climate change and road congestion.”
Geert Pauwels is one of the initiators of Rail Freight Forward. Together with other rail freight operators, he aims to double the volume of cargo on rail by 2030. The shift from road to rail is a concrete solution for reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and alleviating traffic jams.
At the award ceremony, Geert Pauwels called on decision-makers within and outside the sector to unite behind the Modal Shift. “The time is now. We have ten years to drastically shift to sustainable transport and keep our climate targets achievable. Let’s seize the opportunity with the Green Deal to create the right context for the Modal Shift. Let’s reinvent rail and again challenge the status quo of how we do transport. We need everyone present here to unite behind this single purpose of Modal Shift: rail companies, infrastructure managers, policymakers, everyone. By 2030, I hope to see that rail has become the backbone of the European transport system.”
About the European Railway Award
The railway sector is full of bright ideas, ingenious innovation and bold policy initiatives devised to enhance, grow and strengthen the rail mode today and for the future. The European Railway Award, jointly organised by the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the Association of the European Rail Supply Industry (UNIFE), celebrates these achievements by recognising the inspired individuals behind them.
http://www.europeanrailwayaward.eu/
About Lineas
Lineas is the largest private rail freight operator in Europe with headquarters in Belgium and sites in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
The company’s mission is to offer such superior rail products and services that customers shift the transport of their goods from road to rail, thereby improving their supply chain while decreasing their negative impact on climate and mobility.
Lineas’ flagship product is the Green Xpress Network which provides daily, fast and reliable rail connections between major European hubs, combining different types of cargo into one train. The Green Xpress Network was launched in 2014 and now has 20 connections.
Lineas employs over 2.100 people and owns a fleet of 250 locomotives and 7.000 wagons. The company’s shareholders are independent private equity group Argos Wityu (90%) and NMBS/SNCB (10%).
