As of the start of the year, transport output shows 5.9 percent increase • Railion Schweiz is latest addition to the Railion network.Railion is continuing its record performance of last year, when Deutsche Bahn's freight railroad achieved a plus of 9.5 percent – the highest growth in transport output for the last 25 years. In the first two months of this year, Europe's leading freight railroad succeeded in increasing its transport output by 5.9 percent and its external sales revenue by 5.2 percent. Dr. Norbert Bensel, Chairman of DB Logistics, expects this trend to continue throughout the year. "The satisfying thing is that we are not only carrying more freight over longer distances, we are also achieving maximum profits." Last year Railion achieved an operating result (EBIT) of 226 million euros, making it the only European freight railroad able to show triple-digit profits in the millions. Bensel doubts whether this record result is wholly attributable to the favorable development of the economy. "We did our homework, the measures we introduced to increase cost-efficiency in recent years have taken effect, and our consistent focus on the needs of specific industries is welcomed by the customer." Factors that made a positive contribution to these end-of-year results were streamlined production in single freight car transport (based on Project 200X), Railion's international network and the closer links between Production and Sales. Dr. Bensel comments: "In the long term, rail is indispensable if we are to meet the increasing demand for transport services in Germany – a world champion in the exports arena. So we have determined to extend our commitment to rail freight transport, and we will continue to do so." By 2011, DB Logistics will be investing something like 1.9 billion euros in new freight cars and locomotives. Compared with the last five-year period, this represents an increase of 400 million euros.  Already today, 58 percent of all Railion's transport operations cross national frontiers. The extension of the international network continues to be Railion's declared aim. Here the European north-south axis is particularly important – which means that Switzerland has a special role to play, as a facilitator of cross-Alpine transport operations. As a result of its acquisition of the Brunner Railway Services (BRS) company earlier this year, Railion now has a firm foothold in the single freight car transport market in Switzerland. BRS is joining the international Railion network as a new member of the consortium, and will be known in future as Railion Schweiz. Railion will be progressively transferring its transport operations in the Basel region to BRS. "Our customers encouraged us to take this step, so we presume that – subject to consultations with our production departments – we will be able to move to practical implementation before the end of this year," comments Dr. Klaus Kremper, Chairman of the Management Board of Railion Deutschland AG. Starting from next year, further regions of Switzerland will be taken into consideration. The successful partnership with BLS Cargo in Switzerland will go on being developed.