PKP Cargo rethinks long-term goals due to war and pandemic
PKP Cargo has had to lower its expectations of the share it wanted to acquire on the local market. Instead of having a 65 per cent market share by the end of this year, it...Read more
New Year’s resolution: China relaxes pandemic rules causing joy to Eurasian rail
From 8 January 2023, China will no longer implement quarantine and infectious disease management measures for the entry of personnel and goods into the country. After almost three years of strict measures, the government has...Read more
Russia resumes rail freight services to North Korea after two years
Rail freight services between Russia and North Korea have been reinstated for the first time since 2020, when they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first train left Russia and will reach North...Read more
Italy reimburses rail freight companies for losses due to COVID-19
After the approval of recovery funds by the European Commission in June, the Italian government has implemented a scheme to compensate rail freight companies for the losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decree was...Read more
Rail freight service between China and North Korea to resume
North Korean authorities proposed the resumption of rail freight traffic with China to cope with a significant shortage of supplies. The service, which was stopped due to the pandemic, connects the Chinese city of Dandong,...Read more
Rail freight volumes still in Covid mode says CER
The European rail freight volumes have not fully recovered from the losses caused by the two-year-long Covid pandemic. Despite fluctuations from time to time, rail freight volumes in March 2022 were 10 per cent less...Read more
How does the lockdown in Shanghai affect rail freight?
LOCKDOWNSFrom the early hours of 28 March, a lockdown is in place to control the Covid-19 epidemic in Shanghai. Shanghai’s Pudong and Paxi districts entered the lockdown with some time difference, while restrictions will be...Read more
COVID-19 and Brexit implementation hammer Eurotunnel
Eurotunnel’s shuttle services, turnover and earnings have all taken a hit last year. Operating company Getlink published its annual report showing that it experienced losses in all transport segments.Read more
Fruits banned from entering China via port of Manzhouli
Fruits may no longer be shipped into China via the border of Manzhouli, as the city has announced a ban on imported fruits from Sunday 16 January. Manzhouli, in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,...Read more
European rail freight keeps suffering financial losses
The numbers for the first semester of 2021 keep looking sombre for rail freight in Europe. The COVID-19 impact is still visible, and the situation has worsened compared to the second half of 2020. Rail...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
Clemens Först: 2021 will be the year of renaissance for rail
How does a railway undertaking manage the current crisis? And how can rail freight reach the next level of development by becoming the future transport mode? Balancing under extreme conditions without losing multifaceted focus and...Read more
Lineas gets financial injection of 60 million euros
Railway company Lineas has acquired an extra 60 million euros funding to boost its operations. The financial deal consists of two legs: the bank consortium Belfius and BNP Paribas Group will do half the funding....Read more
New Silk Road in 2020: Covid-19, increased traffic and empty containers
2020 was a year of remarkable growth for rail freight traffic on the New Silk Road, despite the many difficulties. More trains, increased volumes, new destinations across the Eurasian routes, but also congestions, and imbalances...Read more
Rise of intermodal services in Hungary shows the way
According to the Association of Hungarian Logistics Service Centres (MLSZKSZ), the freight market of the country is bound to experience changes after the pandemic’s impact during 2020. Hungary’s freight transportation relied mainly on road and...Read more
Commission approves Austrian support scheme
The European Commission has approved an Austrian financial support scheme for rail freight transportation. The scheme which is compiled by two measures aims to cover grants and relieve rail operators from track access charges. With...Read more
Now official: track access charges may be waived during pandemic
Member States of the European Union may waive or reduce track access charges to support railway undertakings during the pandemic. The European Parliament voted in favor of this new regulation earlier today. Railway companies are...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