UK in quarantine – what now for rail freight
As of today, the government in London has imposed a quarantine period of two weeks for all visitors entering the UK. What are the implications for freight movements into the British Isles?Read more
‘Freed-up capacity for freight should be new normal’
Now that passenger traffic gradually returns to the railways of Europe, it is a good moment to reflect on the much-debated capacity issue for freight. If there is one lesson learnt from the corona crisis,...Read more
UK carers and key workers celebrated with loco logo
DB Cargo UK adds a splash of colour in recognition of key workers around the UK, with a specially liveried ’66. Drawing a groan of grudging approval from all concerned, DB Cargo UK say they...Read more
New Silk Road carries another medical train, this time to Paris
A block train loaded with medical equipment has left the Chinese province of Jiangxi today, 4 June, headed for Paris. The service is organised by Russian Railways, SNCF Forwardis, COSCO Group and JSC UTLC ERA,...Read more
Car sales in China slowly picking up
The sale of cars in China is picking up again. According to first estimates, China sold 2.14 million passenger cars and small vans in May. That would be around 12 per cent more than in...Read more
European recovery plan welcome, but ‘not enough’
The long-term budget (MFF) and recovery plan for the transport sector presented by European Commission has been welcomed by the railway industry. But, it is not sufficient for an overall shift to green mobility, says...Read more
Train loaded with masks from Wuhan arrives in Serbia
A train loaded with masks and medical equipment from the Chinese city of Wuhan was welcomed in the terminal of Beograd, in Serbia yesterday. The train was arranged with the help of the Chinese government,...Read more
RailFreight Webinar: New Silk Road to Central and Eastern Europe
The Central and Eastern European region has been gaining importance on the New Silk Road, also during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Despite the turbulent times of today, new connections were formed and new services launched....Read more‘Place railways at the heart of the recovery of European mobility’
The Polish railway undertaking PKP SA has appealed the European Commission to support railway investments that will effectively help stimulate the EU economic recovery plan. CEO Krzysztof Mamiński called for special priority for railway support...Read more
Paper documents not necessarily needed right now
As a result of COVID-19’s impact on the railway industry, some railway companies are confronted with challenges in preparing and collecting paper-based documents required for customs procedures. If needed, electronic documents could temporarily be accepted,...Read more
Port of Gdansk handles 8.7% less cargo in Q1 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the port of Gdansk in the first quarter of 2020. The total cargo volumes handled by the port went down by 8.3 per cent compared to the same period last...Read more
DB Cargo gets hardest hit from car factory closures
DB Cargo has been hit hard by the corona pandemic. In March, the volumes had decreased by 25 per cent. Halfway April, it showed a 35 per cent decrease in volumes compared to the same...Read moreIntermodal Poland and the coronavirus: room for optimism?
When looking at the economic impact of the coronavirus in Poland, there is room for optimism. The country is less affected than other countries in Europe. The intermodal market could reap the benefits of this,...Read more
Negative sentiment in combined transport sector for year to come
Despite the ongoing corona crisis, the combined transport sector has performed relatively well by generally matching the performance of a year earlier during the first three months of 2020. This was announced by UIRR, a...Read more
RailFreight Webinar: Intermodal Poland during the corona crisis
Whereas the intermodal volumes in Poland usually show record figures, the market has been unstable for the last few weeks. The coronavirus has impacted the market. First in terms of trade with China, then in...Read more
Containerised hospital on tracks in Kazakhstan
KTZ Express, an intermodal subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways, has contributed to fighting with the coronavirus in the country. It delivered to Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, the components for the prefabricated hospital. The medical...Read more