German train drivers to go on summer strike over wage dispute
A new attempt to resolve the collective bargaining conflict between Deutsche Bahn and the train drivers’ union GDL failed on Monday in the fourth collective bargaining round. The negotiations have hardened, and there are said...Read more
Put waste on the rails, says Austria
In Austria, a legal amendment has been proposed to increase the transport of waste by rail. Currently, 80 per cent of this waste is still transported by road, although the cargo type is very suitable...Read more
EU Council adopts important rail conclusions
The European Transport Ministers, gathered virtually at their EU Council meeting, adopted two important sets of Council Conclusions on EU rail and on the EU Strategy on Sustainable and Smart Mobility this Thursday. The mobility...Read more
London’s rail freight profile needs adjustments to cope with demand
London’s rail freight future has been examined in detail in a new report compiled by Network Rail. Industry forecasts expect robust long-term growth in demand for rail freight services between now and 2043. The summary...Read more
‘Once you work in railways, you stay in railways’
The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail propose strategic changes to the way UK railway is governed, but talent will not be flowing away from the industry. Once people are in railway, they stay in railway. The...Read more
What happens when the COVID discounts for rail are gone?
Much of the European rail network is currently free of charge. This is thanks to the regulation that allows for a waiver, or reduction of track access charges during the pandemic. However, this possibility is...Read more
Rail Freight Group welcomes UK rail reform
The Rail Freight Group (RFG) has called today’s Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ to grow freight, as long as the proposed rail reforms deliver on the promises. The UK government has...Read more
Denmark restricts combined transport invoking Mobility Package I
Denmark is limiting operational options for foreign freight companies active in combined transport. Starting from 21 February 2022, the country will not allow more than three weekly road transport operations to combined transport undertakings. The...Read more
Zero-emission truck and electric train should be charged the same
European policy makers should find a way of charging for infrastructure that incentivises the greenest possible choice of modality. This requires a multimodal approach, rather than an isolated policy for a single transport sector, say...Read more
Rail sector wants track access charging measures continued for six more months
Railway associations want to prolong the regulation allowing to waive, reduce or defer track access charges in the face of Covid-19. The regulation would last until the end of June, but they asked for it...Read more
Combined Transport: more actions for green objectives
The Commission’s guidelines concerning the European Green Deal’s implementation are comprehensive and necessary. However, the Combined Transport (CT) sector needs to focus on some specific aspects to contribute the maximum in the collective goal. As...Read moreRail continues to lose 30 million euros per week due to pandemic
The pandemic and the consequent lockdowns continue to impact heavily on rail freight. Compared to 2019 figures, revenues from rail freight have gone down from -3 per cent in December 2020 to 10 per cent...Read more
Belgium sets aside 365 million euros for ‘long neglected’ railways
The Belgian government will invest at least 365 million euros in railways during the coming years. Railways have been “neglected for too long” in Belgium, and the specific investment will play a critical role in...Read more
Uwe Leuschner the new CEO of FELB
The rail freight operator FELB (Far East Land Bridge) has appointed Uwe Leuschner as its new CEO. Leuschner will concentrate on the strategical alignments of FELB Group, Business Development and International Relations. He previously worked...Read more
Finland and Estonia signed MoU including Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel
Finland and Estonia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday 26 April 2021 for more cooperation. This will promote projects such as Rail Baltica, the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel, Trans-European Transport Networks, and the North Sea–Baltic Sea...Read more
Germany wants to almost nullify track access charges
Germany has proposed to continue the reduction of track access charges until the end of 2021. Interestingly, the charges will almost be nullified; from the current 50 per cent reduction it wants to move to...Read more