The electrification of the rail network in Germany is progressing slowly, while a clear target of 75 percent by 2030 is set. “Virtually nothing has happened in Germany since 2019. Just 61 percent of the...Read more
It may be styled as Europe’s oil exploration capital and Scotland’s third city by population, but Aberdeen registers lowly on the scale of rail freight activity. However, a programme of works by Network Rail could...Read more
The announcement that the East Coast Main Line will benefit from a significant digital upgrading has caught the imagination of the rail industry at large. There is a genuine belief that the twenty-first-century signalling system...Read more
Just before the Jubilee celebrations, the Scottish government in Edinburgh somewhat failed to grab the limelight by announcing a programme of works hailed as the first phase of a rail decarbonisation scheme. The programme concentrates...Read more
Zero-carbon door-to-door transport is already possible today. The secret lies in combined transport, using rail and, only for short distances, trucking. What is needed? CO2-free power generation, full electrification of rail transport, electrical terminal handling...Read more
Regardless of fuel supply, full line speed freight is the dawn of a new era for British Rail freight. Maggie Simpson, the director general of the Rail Freight Group, has welcomed the recently announced arrival...Read more
Rail freight has rebounded strongly from the pandemic, backed by underlying growth. That is the message from a panel of industry experts debating the sector’s future at a recent round-table in Edinburgh. Rail insiders, industry...Read more
The discussion on European energy policy is again gaining traction. Transport associations are voicing how rail can be a gamechanger, reducing Europe’s dependence on oil suppliers and fossil fuels.Read more
The UK’s first retractable electrification system for rail freight has taken the wires to the loading bay. The industry has led the way in meeting the net-zero ambitions set out by government legislation. A public...Read more
Latvian Railways have released a long-term development strategy making clear that rail will be the backbone of the country’s transport sector. The Baltic country’s approach includes several projects; however, it does not leave much space...Read more
North America, where diesel rules supreme, is about to see a shift in freight haulage hierarchy. One trans-continental carrier is about to break ranks, with a plan to ditch the diesel and bank on batteries....Read more
The energy and fuel crisis is currently hitting Europe hard. In the rail freight sector, increased electricity prices gave space even to rumours that companies would stop using electric locomotives. How does this situation affect...Read more
The UK can show international leadership by taking decisions on railway decarbonisation this year. That is the message to G7 leaders from the Railway Industry Association, the body representing the supply chain in the UK....Read more
Improving rail freight traffic conditions through the Rhine-Alpine corridor is critical in succeeding the modal shift in Europe. Using longer, higher and heavier freight trains on the route is one way to do it. Additionally,...Read more
Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) will receive 130 heavy electric locomotives by Alstom as part of a fleet renewal project. The French and Ukrainian governments signed an intergovernmental agreement to finance the hundreds of million purchase. Both...Read more
Ukrainian Railways will start electrifying and modernising the Kovel-Izov-Derzhkordon route between Ukraine and Poland during the following months. Construction works will take place on several sites. The most significant concern the reconstruction of railway tracks...Read more
Russian Railways wants to increase the volume of cargo transportation by electric traction and give priority to the electrification of the busiest freight routes. This was announced by Sergey Kobzev, deputy manager director of Russian...Read more
The planned electrification of the entire UK rail network will also need significant capacity enhancements if rail freight is to take full advantage. The sector is ready to make the switch from diesel to electric...Read more
The UK rail freight sector will be diesel free before 2050. That is the headline from the Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy, published by Network Rail in response to a UK government legislative programme. The industry...Read more
Major representative bodies and stakeholders are today seeking progress on a national initiative to make the railways net-zero carbon by 2050, in line with the UK government target set out in legislation.Read more
A large-scale project to electrify the railway network of Latvia has been cancelled due a continuing drop in rail freight volumes. The national railway company Latvijas Dzelzcels took this decision this week. The electrification project...Read more
