EU may break up DB Cargo due to losses
The European Union may break up DB Cargo due to the rail operator’s large losses, which have reached nearly 500 million euros. Company sources reported to Reuters that the EU may consider the figures and...Read more
DB Cargo main beneficiary of Fret SNCF ‘discontinuity’
INTERVIEWLabour unions at Fret SNCF have highlighted that the ‘discontinuity’ of the French state railways’ biggest rail freight subsidiary has played directly into the hands of its biggest rival – DB Cargo France.Read more
“It’s up to the sector to provide modal shift incentives,” says LTG Cargo CEO
“We don’t have time to wait – we need to act now”. This is the message of Egle Sime, CEO of the Lithuanian operator LTG Cargo. In her view, it’s not only the EU that...Read more
‘Germany is not short in money to keep financing railway projects’
Despite the significant budget cuts expected for the 2024-2027 period, Peter Westenberger, the managing director of the industry association Die Güternbahnen, is convinced that there are still enough funds to continue carrying out critical railway...Read more
Polish farmers to block Ukrainian agricultural exports by rail
Polish farmers intend to block the export of Ukrainian agricultural goods by rail. They plan to hinder the transfer of goods from rail to road transport on the Polish side of the border. Protests against...Read more
EU: Rail Baltica needs to be done by 2030 with or without Riga
The European Commission has been clear about its demands for the construction of Rail Baltica. The railway needs to be finished and have trains running by 2030 to continue funding. A key question is whether...Read more
EU to invest 10 billion euros in Middle Corridor
The European Union is allocating 10 billion euros for the development of the so-called Middle Corridor. It has identified 33 infrastructure projects to be financed, among which are many rail projects. The EU hopes to...Read more
EU cities urge Commission to make the right legislative decisions for rail
File: Greening Freight Package The European Committee of Regions (CoR) is entering the modal shift race with a clear message: European cities want to see the number of trucks circulating in their premises reduced. At the same time, they...Read more
Lithuania and Poland seek regular rail freight route to Ukraine
Lithuania and Poland have expressed their wish for a regular rail freight route to Ukraine. The respective ministers of transport met in Warsaw on Monday to discuss the issue. Such a new route would help...Read more
Sanctions cause locomotive shortage in Russia
Russian Railways (RZD) is facing a shortage of locomotives. The shortage is reportedly caused by a lack of importable spare parts due to Western sanctions. The situation has become particularly problematic in the fourth quarter...Read more
UK rail freight: will a socialist swing be a sunrise and a good thing?
There is a political turning of the tide expected in the UK. A general election is imminent. The right-wing Conservatives are expected to relinquish the reins of power to the left-wing Labour Party. That would...Read more
Germany: long-term infrastructure projects also affected by budget cuts
The German Federal Government has officially approved the reduced transport budget for 2024. After some amendments in the sums to be cut and the sectors they will affect, the German parliament greenlit it. In addition...Read more
Who stands to benefit from the Weights and Dimensions Directive?
file: greening freight packageThe Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) is one of the pillars of the Greening Freight Package (GFP), a bundle of measures proposed by the European Union to make all modes of transport more sustainable. However,...Read more
The latest Military Mobility funds are in: here are the rail highlights
The latest round of Military Mobility funds provided by the EU Commission as part of CEF has been approved. Railway projects are once again highlighted. Of the 807 million euros released by the Commission, approximately...Read more
Russia fears rail blockade and builds rail ferries for Kaliningrad
Fear of a rail blockade is leading Russia to build three additional rail ferries for its Kaliningrad exclave. The country’s westernmost region is surrounded by EU and NATO member states which control all railways into...Read more
CER urges for more pragmatism in rail capacity allocation
file: greening freight packageThe Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) said Europe needs a more pragmatic approach to reach the goals set by the Green Deal. For rail freight, this means “more flexibility on short-term capacity...Read more
No Rail Terminal Gelderland? No problem!
The province of Gelderland moves on quickly. On Monday, the province announced that it wants to abandon the construction of Rail Terminal Gelderland (RTG), as there appear to be no interested parties for its construction...Read more
Ukraine wants to ban Russian rolling stock imports for 50 years
The Ukrainian government asked the National Security and Defense Council to introduce a bundle of sanctions against Russia for the next 50 years. Among other initiatives, there is the proposal for a five-decade ban on...Read more
Germany: federal government approves amended rail budget cuts
The majority of the German coalition government has approved the proposed budgetary cuts for 2024. Concerns that rail transport would receive considerably less funds for the running year are now confirmed. Nevertheless, the situation is...Read more