Can rail handle the cargo volumes heading for Rotterdam?
Since the mega ship Ever Given was freed from the Suez Canal, the port of Rotterdam has been preparing for a wave of cargo coming its way. Most of this cargo is destined to be...Read moreDB Cargo’s loss more than doubled in 2020
Rail freight operator DB Cargo was hit hard by the corona crisis in 2020. The company saw its losses more than double. With an increase of 136 per cent, the figures went down to minus...Read more
Women in rail: Yes, we still need International Women’s Day
The 8th of March is International Women’s Day, and during the European Year of Rail, there is no better day to emphasise the role of women in rail. This role is increasing, but there is...Read more
Rail traffic to and from the Netherlands back on track
After a week of disruptions, rail freight traffic to and from the Netherlands has started to move again. This weekend, several operators posted good news stories on social media. Emplacement yard Kijfhoek, which remained a...Read more
Snow-battered railways in Netherlands and Germany: day 3
On Tuesday 9 February the first freight trains were able to depart from the Netherlands to Germany, after two days of complete standstill. It was only a beginning; the majority of the train services planned...Read more
Update: port of Rotterdam still inaccessible for rail freight
Despite efforts to restore the rail freight network in the Netherlands, traffic is still non-operational on Tuesday morning. This is true for the railways to and from the port of Rotterdam, railway lines in and...Read more
What does the EU-China agreement on investment offer rail freight?
The Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) signed between the EU and China in late December 2020 is branded as the most ambitious agreement ever concluded by China with a third country concerning investment. It touches...Read moreDB Cargo equips locomotives with Alstom’s ETCS technology
DB Cargo agreed with Alstom to equip thirteen freight locomotives with the ETCS signalling standard technology. They will use Alstom’s Atlas ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2 solution, which complies with the latest European standards for...Read more
Only modest growth for rail freight transport in the Netherlands
After doubling the net volume of freight between the mid-1990s and 2008, there is virtually no growth in rail freight transport in the Netherlands. This is evident from the 2019 Transport Monitor published by the...Read more
‘One Million Club’ set to boost Eurasian traffic
Eurasian transportation has the potential to reach a million tonnes of transported containers in 2025. This is possible with the right model of cooperation, increasing capacities and improving infrastructure, the parties involved agree. “I am...Read more
Is the Great Belt Bridge a potential danger for pocket wagons?
Once again, pocket wagons with semi-trailers are banned from the Danish Great Belt Bridge, due to what was perceived as a potentially threatening situation. The measure taken by the Danish authorities is understandable, in light...Read more
Panda-Sprinter connects port of Brake directly with Chongqing
A new service has been tested for the shipment of wood pulp from the German port of Brake to the Chinese hub of Chongqing. The new line is the product of cooperation between DB Cargo...Read more
New multimodal service between Xi’an-Oslo
Oslo now connects with the Chinese city of Xi’an via a new multimodal service. The first block train arrived at the Norwegian port on 26 December, following a trip estimated to last between 15 and...Read more
DB Cargo to deliver raw materials to one of Germany’s largest steel sites
DB Cargo has signed a ten-year contract with steel producer ArcelorMittal to supply its blast furnace in Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany. Thanks to the contract, which runs until 2031, DB Cargo will deliver raw materials to one...Read more
Sigrid Nikutta: ‘Products should have green label when transported by rail’
Rail freight is synonymous with a sustainable European future. Grabbing the opportunities offered after the Covid-19 pandemic to improve the sector is of central importance. These are some of the insights provided at the event...Read more
DB Cargo to supply 63,000 wagons with composite brake blocks by December
In Germany, legislation that prohibits the use of classic cast-iron brake pads will come into effect on 13 December 2020. Only wagons fitted with composite brake blocks will be allowed to run on the German...Read more
DB Cargo starts linking Rotterdam to southern Germany
DB Cargo will start in mid-December of this year with a direct rail freight connection between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp on the one end, and southern Germany and Austria on the other. It...Read more
DB Cargo expects losses of 500 million euros this year
DB Cargo foresees a negative operating result of half a billion this year. This means that the financial situation of the rail freight subsidiary appears to be deteriorating rather than improving.Read more
Bad management cause of rail infra problems port of Rotterdam
An investigation report with clear recommendations and concrete points for improvement to tackle the infrastructure problems in Rotterdam’s Harbour Line has been presented to the Dutch government. Infrastructure manager ProRail fully embraces the report and...Read more