Clock ticking on UK enhancements programme
The Rail Industry Association, the representative body for the rail supply chain in the UK, has asked the UK government when they can expect the next update on the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP). They...Read more
‘Everyone should have a fair share of COVID-19 support measurements’
Non-discriminatory support measures for everyone in the rail freight sector. That is what the European Rail Freight Association wants from the European Commission and the Member States, responding to the the second COVID-19 wave hitting...Read more
Post-lockdown surge at UK ports, rail can help
Britain’s largest intermodal port Felixstowe saw disrupted global trade flows result in traffic backed up at the quayside. With road traffic struggling to cope, rail operators have been asked to respond, and take up the...Read more
Freightliner and Tarmac build on relationship with new contract
The familiar names of Freightliner and Tarmac have signed a wide-ranging contract, cementing their existing relationship. The rail freight haulier will support a number of nationally and commercially important infrastructure projects around the UK. The...Read more
Little room for optimism among combined transport operators
Combined transport volumes have decreased by 7 per cent this year, and this is a trens unlikely to swing in the other direction soon. Companies in this sector do not expect an upward trend for...Read more
How companies deal with new pandemic consignment demands
Since roughly March this year rail freight companies have seen an increase in exceptional consignments. These include products that had to be transported specifically to meet emergency needs during the pandemic or the consumer changes...Read more
Support for rail industry proving complicated and divisive
Germany, Britain and France are all finding support for their rail industries to be a complex matter. Competing interests have survived the coronavirus pandemic, and pleasing everyone is proving a headache for administrations across Europe.Read more
Negative sentiment over combined transport in 2019
European combined transport had a difficult year in 2019. It was a year of reckoning after the optimism of the year before, concludes the UIRR. The industry association for combined transport published its annual report...Read more
‘Help Europe recover with user-pays, polluter-pays principles’
Europe’s economic recovery after COVID-19 must be green, also in transport. Transport should help finance the recovery, through application of user-pays and polluter-pays principles. This is the suggestion in the new position paper put forward...Read more
UK government to announce massive investment plans
This week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce a massive programme of infrastructure investment for the UK. There is speculation as to how big the programme will be, and where the money will...Read more
EU proposes waiving of track access charges as support measure
The European Commission has proposed a regulation that allows EU Member States to waive or reduce track access charges as well as reservation charges. This is to support railway undertakings, which are facing challenging times...Read more
Scientists: European Silk Road should help recover Europe post-corona
A European Silk Road could contribute to the recovery of Europe after COVID-19. Alternatively, a network of high-speed railway lines should help restoring the continent. This was concluded by Economists at the Vienna Institute for...Read more
Trucks at Chinese-Kazakh border halted to prioritise rail freight
Severe congestion at the Kazakh-Chinese border has led to a halt of all truck traffic, in order to ensure the continuance of Europe-China rail. This was announced by the China Railway dispatching center . The...Read more
New wave of coronavirus China could originate from imported salmon
The export of fresh products to China by train has not yet been restricted, but logistics providers are closely following the news about a new wave of coronavirus infections in China. The outbreak seems to...Read more
New mixed-use line proposed for Scotland-England
UK’s influential High Speed Rail Group proposes a significant new-build line between England and Scotland to complement the east and west coast main lines and solve capacity issues. The group, representing member organisations from across...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
More containers on transit through Russia despite pandemic
Despite the negative impact of the pandemic on the global economy, Russia saw an increase in container transit volumes in 2020. In the first five months of this year, 278 thousand containers moved on transit...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
Truck cargo put on China train to avoid jammed border with Vietnam
CEVA Logistics has launched a ‘truck-rail-truck’ service to keep freight moving between China and Southeast Asia, where the COVID-19 crisis has led to fewer flights, capacity limits, operational restrictions and waits of up to four...Read more