Omikron just another hit to China-Europe supply chain
The rapidly spreading Omikron mutation of the coronavirus could trigger a boom in sick staff. The international trade union International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is already speaking of an ‘Omikron crew crunch’ for the shipping...Read more
Swissterminal offers ‘virus-free containers’
The Swiss terminal operator Swissterminal is offering customers a new container disinfection service, which makes for what it calls ‘virus-free containers’. The introduction of this solution is in direct response to the increased need for...Read more
Liverpool wins in container crunch
Rail freight stands to be a winner as the port of Liverpool secures more intermodal traffic. From this week, 2M Alliance – a vessel-sharing partnership between Maersk and MSC – is bringing a transatlantic loop...Read more
These are the rail freight opportunities during COVID-19
Amid the disaster of the coronavirus pandemic, there are opportunities for rail freight and recovery. That’s the message from James Fox, co-founder and commercial director at rail technology specialists 3Squared. He says that the radical...Read more
Intermodal trains forced to leave UK ports light loaded
Port and supply chain disruption has reached unprecedented levels in the UK. Intermodal trains leaving UK ports, including the busiest intermodal terminal in the country, Felixstowe, have been forced to depart with part of their...Read more
Traffic recovery at iPort Rail points to post-pandemic upturn
The independently operated terminal iPort Rail, in Doncaster, has this week seen resumption of a sixth daily intermodal service. This brings the terminal back up to pre-pandemic service levels. The service, connecting with Felixstowe on...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
Railway Industry Association urges UK government to ‘Build Back Rail’
Despite the key role the rail sector has played in the economic survival of the UK, almost two-thirds of rail industry leaders say that the coronavirus has worsened their outlook for the year ahead. This...Read more
Is it possible to transport vaccines for COVID-19 by rail?
Although Europe is making no move to buy Chinese vaccines, cooperation between China and Europe in the fight against the pandemic is inevitable, so are the large cross-border shipments of vaccines. However, while discussing the...Read more
Nippon Express doubles China-Europe connection
Nippon Express, a high-ranking logistics company in Japan, announced its plans to increase the rail services connecting China-Europe. Beginning from next year the company is eager to double the freight trains it operates, as a...Read more
Pandemic-weakened EU countries unlikely to waive track access charges
Only a few EU Member States will respond to the call of new EU legislation, allowing for a waiver, reduction or deferral of track access charges as long as the pandemic lasts. There may be...Read more
Fresh UK freight statistics contain food for thought
Despite the praise rightly heaped on rail freight operators for keeping the essential supplies flowing, the April-July statistics make grim reading for the sector. Official figures from the Office of Rail and Road, released late...Read more
Frozen seafood transported to China tests positive with coronavirus
The concern that the coronavirus could be transported via frozen food has once again risen in China, now that some positive samples of seafood were detected in the port of Qingdao. Two workers unloading the...Read more
UK ends franchising passenger traffic, what does it mean for freight?
The UK government has announced this morning that it will support the passenger network for at least the next 18 months. This means that it is officially renationalising the railways, doing away with the franchising...Read more
New Silk Road work practices are a success story
European freight operators and logistics companies, with interests all along the New Silk Road, have responded to the demands of the coronavirus pandemic. For many it has been a rapid deployment of new ways to...Read more
Logistics UK: rail freight drives pandemic recovery
Logistics UK, the new name for the Freight Transport Association, has been working hard to support the sector that has been supporting the UK economy by quietly going about its business, round the clock and...Read more
US intermodal traffic ‘trending in right direction’
After a long period of negative sentiment, an upward trend was observed in the US. Intermodal traffic in the week ending 8 August saw the highest level since December 2019 and 30% more than the...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
‘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