Chinese S90s stuck on trains in Poland...

[Matt2e]

Hi folks,

Matt here, this is my first post on your very useful site, and I hope to post many more items and questions in the next few months.

Ordered an Osmium Grey S90 Momentum with a few toys back in MARCH this year for delivery in JULY (wanted to beat the tax changes but needed to replace my current car at the end of July when the current lease expired).

Well, the plan was good but trying to nail down a delivery date through the Lease company/Dealer combo has been a little tricky shall we say.

In May the delivery date moved out to late-October, I was not happy and suggested they rethink their ESTIMATE a little. Came back to end July, late September, early then mid-August, and has just been through early September, mid September and is currently set for October 2nd.

The factory move from Sweden to China was blamed ... and has continued to be blamed throughout the ping pong that the car delivery process became. I'd had enough last week and contacted Volvo Customer Services who were very helpful ... once they'd found my order (that was a worrying 48 hours, and no mistake). They were sorry to hear about the car, tried to help with a loan car (which I thought was pretty good) and told me my car was on one of several backed up trains in Poland waiting to enter Germany. The delay, apparently is due to damaged German Rail Infrastructure.

Has anyone else heard the same story? I have scoured the internet trying to find the story to no avail - I mean it is a big enough story surely given the hype around the 'One Road, One Belt' connection from China - or am I being spun a line?

Allegedly my new motor will arrive on the 2nd October. This is my first Volvo and I have to say it has been a bit disheartening to see just how inefficient the supply chain seems to be. I look forwards to enjoying it once it gets here and naturally I will post pictures - might even be an 18 reg the way things are going .. it moved from MY17 to MY18 while I have waited.

I haven't seen many S90s around - perhaps we now know why.....

Good to be here,
Cheers,
Matt.

[NewVolvo]

Originally Posted by Matt2e

Hi folks,

Matt here, this is my first post on your very useful site, and I hope to post many more items and questions in the next few months.

Ordered an Osmium Grey S90 Momentum with a few toys back in MARCH this year for delivery in JULY (wanted to beat the tax changes but needed to replace my current car at the end of July when the current lease expired).

Well, the plan was good but trying to nail down a delivery date through the Lease company/Dealer combo has been a little tricky shall we say.

In May the delivery date moved out to late-October, I was not happy and suggested they rethink their ESTIMATE a little. Came back to end July, late September, early then mid-August, and has just been through early September, mid September and is currently set for October 2nd.

The factory move from Sweden to China was blamed ... and has continued to be blamed throughout the ping pong that the car delivery process became. I'd had enough last week and contacted Volvo Customer Services who were very helpful ... once they'd found my order (that was a worrying 48 hours, and no mistake). They were sorry to hear about the car, tried to help with a loan car (which I thought was pretty good) and told me my car was on one of several backed up trains in Poland waiting to enter Germany. The delay, apparently is due to damaged German Rail Infrastructure.

Has anyone else heard the same story? I have scoured the internet trying to find the story to no avail - I mean it is a big enough story surely given the hype around the 'One Road, One Belt' connection from China - or am I being spun a line?

Allegedly my new motor will arrive on the 2nd October. This is my first Volvo and I have to say it has been a bit disheartening to see just how inefficient the supply chain seems to be. I look forwards to enjoying it once it gets here and naturally I will post pictures - might even be an 18 reg the way things are going .. it moved from MY17 to MY18 while I have waited.

I haven't seen many S90s around - perhaps we now know why.....

Good to be here,
Cheers,
Matt.

Congrats on the new car

Hopefully your nice new S90 will soon be with you.

I have not heard any problems re the train connection between Poland and Germany. Both countries have hundreds of trains going across the border everyday without any problems. Nothing has been reported in media about any issues either. They also use the same gauge, as far as I know. They certainly do on some routes in any case. The latter is a different story if the train goes through russia....

Personally I think they are feeding you with bs.

Volvo moved the production not long ago and its still early in that process. To have it working flawlessly from day 1 is unfortunately not happening and tbh should be expected. Volvo was probably hoping that that would be the case. Eventually transit times will improve. I think there must be quite a few cars waiting to be shipped to Europe....

Pity that the customers have to be affected, but I and thousands of others have already experienced this with shipping of a certain US model from Detroit to Europe. Now, 2 yrs later its a well know process for the company and delivery times have improved a lot.

I am sure Volvo will eventually perfect it.

[Matt2e]

Hi NewVolvo,

I suspect you might be right but as you seem to hail from Germany yourself perhaps it is the SHAME that Germany's trains are less than perfect - something nobody would ever expect ..... just kidding!

As you say it would/should be major news if the jewel in the crown of China's export strategy was in any way flawed. And I really could not find any news of it at all. Volvo don't mention it on their website either. Surprising really because you can imagine just how many complaints could be headed off at the pass if the news was published to all. They'd get a lot of sympathy from the UK who are used to infrastructure creaking around the edges and the delays which inevitably arise because of it.

Thanks for coming back - be interesting to see if anyone else (especially prospective S90 owners) have heard the same story or have been subject to similar delays to my own.

Cheers,
Matt.

[NewVolvo]

Originally Posted by Matt2e

Hi NewVolvo,

I suspect you might be right but as you seem to hail from Germany yourself perhaps it is the SHAME that Germany's trains are less than perfect - something nobody would ever expect ..... just kidding!

As you say it would/should be major news if the jewel in the crown of China's export strategy was in any way flawed. And I really could not find any news of it at all. Volvo don't mention it on their website either. Surprising really because you can imagine just how many complaints could be headed off at the pass if the news was published to all. They'd get a lot of sympathy from the UK who are used to infrastructure creaking around the edges and the delays which inevitably arise because of it.

Thanks for coming back - be interesting to see if anyone else (especially prospective S90 owners) have heard the same story or have been subject to similar delays to my own.

Cheers,
Matt.

Actually I am Swedish, now living in Germany and before that spent 20 yrs in the UK....

Unfortunately, German trains rarely run on time nowadays. Like the new Berlin airport (and many other things), its a disgrace!

Hope they get it sorted!

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by Matt2e

The delay, apparently is due to damaged German Rail Infrastructure.

Has anyone else heard the same story? I have scoured the internet trying to find the story to no avail - I mean it is a big enough story surely given the hype around the 'One Road, One Belt' connection from China - or am I being spun a line?

There is currently major damage to the main railway line between Germany and Switzerland in the Basel-Karlsruhe area. The line is totally closed until sometime in October.
https://www.railfreight.com/business...e-disruptions/

"As the line forms an integral part of the north-south axis connecting the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp to Italy, the European rail freight industry has been largely affected. On a regular day, the route is used by an average of 200 freight trains a day, all of which got stranded as the disruptions evolved. The industry is suffering losses running into the millions of Euros per week."

Trains are being diverted all over the place and such diversions have far reaching effects, it may well extend to non-urgent freight trains in eastern Germany not being able to enter because other freight trains cannot leave and thus rail yards are blocked with immovable freight trains etc etc etc.

Imagine your train car is supposed to go to Rotterdam to unload, but the unloading station is blocked with a freight train that is supposed to go to Italy. And all possible parking spaces for freight trains between Rotterdam and Poland are full of trains waiting to go to Rotterdam - such issues have major flow-on effects, because you cannot simply park a freight train off the side of the railway track....

[Matt2e]

Actually I am Swedish, now living in Germany and before that spent 20 yrs in the UK....

Swedish eh? So your name really is Volvo ... I thought NewVolvo was your nom de plume?

Thanks for the 'local' update. Hope the trains and Airport sort themselves out. I was in Berlin a few months back at a conference - had a great time.

Matt.

[Matt2e]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

There is currently major damage to the main railway line between Germany and Switzerland in the Basel-Karlsruhe area. The line is totally closed until sometime in October.
https://www.railfreight.com/business...e-disruptions/

"As the line forms an integral part of the north-south axis connecting the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp to Italy, the European rail freight industry has been largely affected. On a regular day, the route is used by an average of 200 freight trains a day, all of which got stranded as the disruptions evolved. The industry is suffering losses running into the millions of Euros per week."

Wow, thanks SwissXC90 - I can now understand the scale of the situation. My car is heading for Zeebrugge on its train but I can see it needs to pass right through the area affected ... not good.

Anyone else been told their new car is held up in the same hiatus?

Volvo UK are supposed to be in touch again next week - I'll let you all know what transpires!

Cheers,
Matt.

[NewVolvo]

Originally Posted by Matt2e

Swedish eh? So your name really is Volvo ... I thought NewVolvo was your nom de plume?

Thanks for the 'local' update. Hope the trains and Airport sort themselves out. I was in Berlin a few months back at a conference - had a great time.

Matt.

I grew up with them....dad drove nothing but Volvos. Partly due to being Sweden but also partly down to the fact that the co he worked for shipped them to UK and other parts of the world

[Gustaff]

Originally Posted by Matt2e

Wow, thanks SwissXC90 - I can now understand the scale of the situation. My car is heading for Zeebrugge on its train but I can see it needs to pass right through the area affected ... not good.

Anyone else been told their new car is held up in the same hiatus?

Volvo UK are supposed to be in touch again next week - I'll let you all know what transpires!

Cheers,
Matt.

It appears that we have the same problem in Sweden. I was expecting delivery of my S90 T5 Inscription next week but today it has been changed to delivery week 40

[Whippy]

I would have thought they would have been shipped here? Quicker, cheaper as well.