Walter Schulze-Freyberg, Managing Director of Polzug Intermodal GmbH, was awarded the Logistics Prize 'Golden Environment Rail' by BF Bahnen (the Federation of Managers of German Rail Companies). The Federation confers its 'Golden Environment Rail' on people from business, political and academic fields for outstanding services to rail transport.

Schulze-Freyberg, 56, has headed Polzug Intermodal GmbH since it was founded in 1991 and has made a major contribution to establishing Polzug as a leading supplier of rapid, sustainable rail transport between the Northern European container ports and Central and Eastern Europe. Polzug is a joint venture between Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), PKP Polish State Railways and Deutsche Bahn AG.

Schulze-Freyberg is the first HHLA manager to receive the 'Golden Environment Rail.' "This award is a tremendous honor for me. I am absolutely delighted about it," he said.

The Federation bestowed the 'Golden Environment Rail' on Schulze-Freyberg during a ceremony held in Hamburg on October 16 with the theme: 'Rail Transport - Contributing to Climate Protection.'

Polzug was the first private rail company to develop block container train links between ports in Northern Europe and Poland. Today its transport services extend well beyond Poland, into the CIS States, the Caucasus and as far as Central Asia. Polzug accordingly plays a crucial part in transporting rapidly growing quantities of goods from the North Sea ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Rotterdam to the emerging national economies of Eastern Europe in a way that conserves the climate. Since being founded, Polzug has saved some 200,000 tons of climate-harmful carbon dioxide.

Along with Metrans and Transfracht, as part of Intermodal, the second largest HHLA Group field of business, Polzug is one of the three rail operating companies that network container handling at the overseas ports with the hinterland. With Poland as its key market, Polzug Intermodal is already serving eight terminals in leading industrial centers, with the four in Pruszkow (Warsaw), Wroclaw, and Gadki and in Slawkow near Katowice owned by Polzug.

Schulze-Freyberg has held significant positions in the industry and was deeply involved in developing and implementing the business plan for Polzug.

After completing his studies, he commenced his career with the DDG "Hansa" shipping company as a cargo officer on board its heavy cargo freighters. In 1987 as a graduate industrial engineer in sea transport and deck officer with a captain's patent for the great trades joined the port logistics group HHLA as a senior consultant in its consultancy subsidiary, HPC Hamburg Port Consulting. Prior to this post as a consultant, from 1981 until 1987 he worked as a logistics expert and adviser to the Executive Board at plant manufacturer Deutsche Babcock AG in Oberhausen, a company operating worldwide.