DB Cargo Belgium
DB Cargo Belgium is a freight railway operator and wholly-owned subsidiary of DB Cargo AG that provides B2B rail freight transport between Belgium's major ports (Antwerp, Zeebrugge), inland terminals, and large industrial sites across Flanders and Wallonia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersAntwerpen, Belgium
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DB Cargo Belgium does
DB Cargo Belgium is a freight railway operator that provides rail freight transport services connecting Belgium's major maritime ports (Antwerp and Zeebrugge), inland terminals, and large industrial sites across the Flanders and Wallonia regions. The company moves goods on the Belgian rail network through its own fleet operations, served by approximately 270 employees including train drivers, shunting/rangeer drivers, dispatchers, planners, and administrative staff. Headquartered at Noorderlaan 111 in the Port of Antwerp, the entity holds a single core product: contracted B2B rail freight transport, priced and delivered on a per-transaction/contract basis to enterprise customers.
DB Cargo Belgium was launched as a DB Cargo production entity on 1 January 2019, initially operating under a Dutch license, and transitioned to operating on the Belgian network under its own license and safety certificates on 14 June 2020. The company has operational sites at Antwerp Noord, the Port of Zeebrugge, Muizen, Bressoux (Liège region in Wallonia), and Aachen in Germany for cross-border operations. Its technology stack is operational rather than digital-native, centered on rail operations management and compliance with Belgian rail safety regulations; there is no proprietary software product, app, or disclosed AI capability. The website (wisselvanspoor.be) is built almost entirely around employer branding and recruitment of operational staff rather than customer-facing sales.
DB Cargo Belgium is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DB Cargo AG, the largest freight railway company in Europe and part of the Deutsche Bahn group. The parent provides brand credibility, financial backing, pan-European network access across 14+ countries, and integration with the link2rail digital eServices platform. Revenue is generated through contracted rail freight transport billed to enterprise customers; no public pricing or disclosed revenue figures exist. The go-to-market is direct enterprise B2B sales to ports, large industrial companies, and logistics operators, supplemented by employer branding for talent acquisition. The CEO is Stefan Kibbas, who publicly frames the business around the EU Green Deal and modal shift from road to rail.
DB Cargo Belgium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DB Cargo Belgium
- Legal name
- DB Cargo Belgium nv
- Website
- https://wisselvanspoor.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- DB Cargo Belgium is a freight railway operator and wholly-owned subsidiary of DB Cargo AG that provides B2B rail freight transport between Belgium's major ports (Antwerp, Zeebrugge), inland terminals, and large industrial sites across Flanders and Wallonia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where DB Cargo Belgium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Antwerpen
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
DB Cargo Belgium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Rail Freight Transport Services: DB Cargo Belgium generates revenue by providing rail freight transport services, moving goods between maritime ports (e.g., Port of Antwerp, Zeebrugge), large industrial sites, and inland terminals across Belgium. The company operates both in Flanders and Wallonia, serving enterprise-scale logistics customers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
DB Cargo Belgium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DB Cargo Belgium provides freight railway transport services, moving goods between Belgian seaports (Port of Antwerp, Zeebrugge), large industrial sites, and inland terminals across Flanders and Wallonia. The company operates its own rail fleet and staff on the Belgian rail network under its own license and safety certificates (since 14 June 2020), with services delivered via train drivers, shunting drivers, dispatchers, and planners.
Product overview
DB Cargo Belgium is a freight railway company that operates as part of DB Cargo AG, the largest freight railway company in Europe. The company provides freight transport services connecting Belgian seaports (particularly Antwerp and Zeebrugge), inland terminals, and industrial sites across Flanders and Wallonia. The core service offering consists of freight railway transport operations, supported by train drivers, shunting/rangeer drivers, dispatchers, and planners. The company operates under its own Belgian license and safety certificates since June 14, 2020, after initially operating under a Dutch license from January 2019.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Freight Railway Transport Services
Companies that use DB Cargo Belgium
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DB Cargo Belgium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DB Cargo Belgium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DB Cargo AGcoreDB Cargo Belgium is a subsidiary of DB Cargo AG, the largest rail freight operator in Europe. DB Cargo AG provides the parent company infrastructure, brand, licensing framework, and European network across 14+ countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Scandinavia, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, UK, France, Spain, and China) plus Germany as headquarters.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DB Cargo Belgium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SNCB/NMBS Logistics: SNCB/NMBS is the Belgian national railway, with historical freight operations that have been restructured. As the former national freight operator, it sets competitive context for DB Cargo Belgium in the Belgian market and shares customer relationships with port and industrial shippers.
- SBB Cargo: SBB Cargo is the freight subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways, operating national and cross-border European rail freight services. Comparable as a national rail freight operator with similar port-hinterland and industrial customer dynamics, though primarily serving the Swiss market.
- PKP Cargo: PKP Cargo is the largest rail freight operator in Poland and a major EU player. Comparable as a large national rail freight operator with industrial customer base, though operating in a different geography and at much larger scale than DB Cargo Belgium.
- Captrain: Captrain is the rail freight arm of SNCF Group operating across multiple European countries. While not Belgium-focused, it competes with DB Cargo Belgium for cross-border industrial and intermodal freight flows and offers comparable services at broader European scale.
Direct peers
- Lineas: Lineas is the largest private rail freight operator in Belgium and the Benelux, directly competing with DB Cargo Belgium on the same Belgian corridors connecting Antwerp and Zeebrugge to inland industrial sites. Highly comparable in customer base, services, and geographic footprint.
- CFL cargo: CFL cargo is the freight rail subsidiary of the Luxembourg national railway, operating cross-border services including into Belgium. Comparable as a smaller national rail freight operator in the Benelux region with similar customer mix in industrial and intermodal freight.
Regional players
- Hector Rail: Hector Rail is a private Scandinavian rail freight operator providing services across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and into continental Europe. Comparable as an independent/private rail freight operator competing against state-owned incumbents, though operating in a different geography.
- VFLI: VFLI is a French rail freight operator focused on industrial sites and chemical/steel customers, partly owned by SNCF. Comparable in customer focus (large industrial sites) and freight types, though operating primarily in France rather than Belgium.
- BLS Cargo: BLS Cargo operates rail freight services primarily through Switzerland and into neighboring countries, including trans-Alpine corridors. Comparable business model in European rail freight with industrial customers, though its primary geography differs from Belgium.
- RTB Cargo: RTB Cargo is an Austrian/German rail freight operator serving industrial customers in the Rhine-Alpine corridor. Comparable as a mid-sized European rail freight operator with similar industrial customer base, though focused on Austria/Germany rather than Belgium.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DB Cargo Belgium social profiles
Digital presenceDB Cargo Belgium compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
DB Cargo Belgium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DB Cargo Belgium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
DB Cargo Belgium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DB Cargo Belgium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DB Cargo Belgium
What does DB Cargo Belgium do?
DB Cargo Belgium provides freight railway transport services, moving goods between Belgian seaports (Port of Antwerp, Zeebrugge), large industrial sites, and inland terminals across Flanders and Wallonia. The company operates its own rail fleet and staff on the Belgian rail network under its own license and safety certificates (since 14 June 2020), with services delivered via train drivers, shunting drivers, dispatchers, and planners.
Is DB Cargo Belgium a public or private company?
DB Cargo Belgium is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DB Cargo Belgium founded?
DB Cargo Belgium was founded in 2019. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is DB Cargo Belgium based?
DB Cargo Belgium is headquartered in Antwerpen, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does DB Cargo Belgium make money?
One revenue line is on record: rail Freight Transport Services.
Who are DB Cargo Belgium's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SNCB/NMBS Logistics, SBB Cargo, PKP Cargo and Captrain. Direct peers are Lineas and CFL cargo. Regional players are Hector Rail, VFLI, BLS Cargo and RTB Cargo.
Does DB Cargo Belgium have an API?
No public API is recorded for DB Cargo Belgium.