Domestic freight traffic impaired, international unaffected as Finnish strike continues
UPDATEAll domestic rail freight services are cancelled in Finland as the strike of train drivers reaches its third day. At the same time, international traffic seems to be unaffected. The strike will continue until further...Read more
Lineas back on track with new Ghent-Lyon rail service
After laying low for a year, Lineas seems to be back on track. The company launched a new rail service with logistics firm DFDS to link the North Sea Port in Ghent and Port Edouard...Read more
A common language for European train drivers: additional hurdle or solution?
ANALYSISThe European rail sector remains divided: should there be a common language for cross-border train operations for staff such as train drivers, personnel and traffic controllers? The remarkable thing is that the freight association ERFA,...Read more
A rail proof of concept in Ireland, a relatively small market
Irish Rail, also known as Iarnród Éireann, has dispatched the 100th intermodal train from Waterford, on the south coast, to the northern logistics hub of Ballina, County Mayo. The solid service covering a distance of...Read more
Controversial Spain-France rail border crossing could reopen in 2028
The rail border crossing between Canfranc (Spain) and Bedous (France) might reopen in 2028. This is what Alain Rousset, president of the French region Nouvelle Aquitaine, said Wednesday 15 March during his visit to the...Read more
Operail stops rolling stock leasing as well as regular freight services
Operail, the Estonian national railway company, sold the third and last batch of its rolling stock. “With this, all wagons belonging to Operail Leasing have been sold and the rental business has ended”, the company...Read more
LTG: more x-ray machines on the borders as smuggling investigation continues
LTG Infra and the Lithuanian Customs Office step up their attempts to control and restrict smuggling and sanction circumvention attempts via rail. In this context, they aim to deploy two x-ray machines at the Kybartai...Read more
Coup for Freightliner as parent company appoints Tim Shoveller
It is considered a surprise move for the rail freight industry. Genesee and Wyoming, the American headquartered parent company of Freightliner, will soon appoint Tim Shoveller as chief executive officer of its UK/Europe operations. The...Read more
First findings rail accident Greece: ‘Personnel insufficiently trained’
The investigation following the deadly railway accident in Greece has unearthed some worrying findings. The Greek Railway Regulatory Body, which is reponsible for the work, speaks of “insufficient training of personnel carrying out critical tasks”,...Read more
Part of UK West Coast Carstairs junction re-opens today
Routing your intermodal? Scheduling your block train? Take note of the first phase of work to upgrade Carstairs Junction as the critical project’s initial stage nears completion. Following a 16-day closure of the West Coast...Read more
DB Netze’s new freight coordinator: ‘Construction works are for the better, but I understand frustration’
As a new face at German infrastructure manager DB Netze, Thorsten Dieter aims for change. “My biggest accomplishment will be if, one year from now, the rail freight sector thinks it’s sufficiently represented by DB...Read more
Railway employees feel mocked by DB’s collective bargaining offer
As the first round of collective wage bargaining between unions and DB is ongoing, the two sides are yet to find common ground. DB made a first offer to union EVG, representing the bulk of...Read more
China and Russia capitals connected on New Silk Road for first time
On Thursday 16 March, the first freight train departed between the Chinese capital Beijing and that of Russia – Moscow. It marked the start of a new service of the China-Europe Railway Express, connecting the...Read more
US railway giants merge to create first Canada-US-Mexico network
US weekly updateCanadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS), two of the largest railway companies in the United States, finalised a merger that will result in a new company called Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). This...Read more
UK rail links could solve congestion on critical road corridor
New rail links announced between Wales and England are an encouraging step towards easing congestion on the M4 motorway, which parallels the Great Western Mainline (GML). That is the message from Logistics UK, the representative...Read more
Arcese launches ‘triangular’ service to connect four countries
Italian intermodal company Arcese has inaugurated a new rail freight service that will connect Italy, Austria, Germany, and Romania. The innovative aspect of this circular, or rather triangular, service is that it will connect four...Read more
Is Germany’s transport policy taking a wrong turn?
The German federal transport minister Volker Wissing sends mixed signals to the industry. On the one hand, he appears to have a new railway renovation concept that will be completed by 2030. On the other...Read more
Italian state subsidies for rail freight are the lowest since 2018
InterviewFor the period 2023-2026, Italy’s state contributions for the rail freight sector are set at 22 million euros per year. This is the lowest amount since 2018. This number, therefore, represents somewhat of a step...Read more
DB charging customers to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Sending humanitarian aid from Germany to Ukraine via rail with Deutsche Bahn (DB) is no longer free of charge as of 1 January 2023. In other words, anyone who wants to send aid to Ukraine...Read more