Currently, the common denominator concerning the implementation of the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) in Europe seems to be confusion. A third DAC consortium, renamed DACFIT, was just formed by Deutsche Bahn (DB), which also plays a key role in the other two. However, a clear timetable is not yet available despite the EU envisioning a large-scale DAC deployment by 2030.Read more
Carbon-neutral synthetic diesel could be just the tonic the rail freight industry is seeking. Operators will have to radically rethink their motive power fleets to meet the stringent net zero carbon ambitions set out in...Read more
Rail freight volumes in Romania declined by 11,5 per cent in 2023. The vast majority of goods were transported domestically, according to the National Institute of Statistics.Read more
PKP LHS reports that it has transported a record freight volume between Poland and Ukraine in the first quarter of 2024. During this period, it transported 2,9 million tonnes of cargo between the two countries....Read more
As Ukrainian Railways has been trying to complete the purchase of new rolling stock, the US Export-Import Bank extends an aiding hand. The bank is providing a 156 million dollar loan over a period of...Read more
The Italian infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) launched EasyRailFreight, a new app that will bring logistics operators and their customers closer together. The former can use the app to offer their services, while the...Read more
The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has released an ambitious blueprint titled “Delivering a Lower Cost, Higher Performing Net Zero Railway by 2050”. The Association, which mainly represents the interests of supply chain members, says it...Read more
As Germany is planning for much-needed rail infrastructure renovations, points of contention arise. While renovations are necessary for the outdated network, significant infrastructure downtime could lead to serious consequences for the rail freight industry. Especially...Read more
LKAB, the largest iron ore producer in Europe, said that some of its facilities might close unless capacity along the Iron Ore Line, or Malmbanan, doesn’t improve significantly. “LKAB is reviewing closure in either Kiruna...Read more
RailFreight Summit '24The time for the RailFreight Summit ‘24, taking place between 15 and 17 April in Warsaw, Poland, has arrived. Less than a week remains until the rail freight industry meets in the Polish capital to...Read more
The Spanish government rejected a proposal to advance the reopening of the Ruta de la Plata to 2040 instead of 2050. The railway, stretching along the Portuguese border up to the Atlantic Ocean, was an...Read more
Kazakh Railways (KTZ) has temporarily banned the export of agricultural goods via rail to China. KTZ explains the ban by referring to overloaded border crossings.Read more
The UK multimodal freight carrier Maritime Transport has been appointed rail freight operator at the West Midlands Interchange. The government-designated strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) is currently under construction at a site north of Wolverhampton....Read more
A road bridge in Russia has collapsed onto rail tracks. The debris of the bridge blocked the main rail line between Russia and Belarus. While the consequences for train traffic were initially unclear, traffic on...Read more
Rail freight operators in Europe are performing very differently. Big names such as DB Cargo and Lineas are in trouble, but in Poland, the annual figures were an invitation to uncork the champagne bottle.Read more
The CEO of Operail, Merle Kurvits, has responded to media attention for Operail Finland’s sale. Estonian media recently said Operail Finland’s sale was a 12 million euro “gift” to the Finnish rail industry. Kurvits refutes...Read more
The Polish rail Infrastructure Manager PKP PLK will invest over a billion euros in rail infrastructure. The operator signed contracts for rail upgrades in the country’s southern region of Silesia. With the investments, Poland hopes...Read more
Tim Shoveller, the chief executive of Genesee and Wyoming UK and Europe, less tongue twistingly branded as Freightliner, has bemoaned the rising cost of operating rail freight in the face of environmental issues. On the...Read more