The ERTMS dilemma: ‘some locomotives might not run up to 2026’
One of the hottest debates in the European rail freight sector is the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and its signalling and control component, the European Train Control System (ETCS). Alberto...Read more
EIB invests almost one billion euros in Czechia to improve railways
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will loan 992 million euros to the Czech Ministry of Finance “in support of a major railway upgrade”. This is the largest loan from the EIB to the Czech Republic.Read more
New funds for ERTMS implementation in the Netherlands, but is it enough?
The European Commission (EC) has amended the Dutch scheme to implement ERTMS on with an additional injection of 21 million euros. With these new funds, the current budget for this initiative is 67 million euros,...Read more
EU Commission reactivates Czech rail scheme, this time it includes DAC too
The European Commission (EC) has reactivated a scheme to support rail interoperability in the Czech Republic over the next five years for 380 million euros. This initiative, unlike its predecessor, also includes a new measure...Read more
Dutch rail freight sector will not miss resigned government
The Dutch government coalition led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte resigned at the beginning of July. Many industry players in the Netherlands voiced their disapproval of how the rail freight industry was managed throughout the...Read more
‘The Dutch rail freight sector is going to crumble’, says rail freight association
RailGood, the main rail freight association in the Netherlands, sent a letter to the country’s State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), Vivianne Heijnen, with three demands to facilitate the shift from road to...Read more
Italy gets 300 million euros for ERTMS implementation
The European Commission (EC) is allocating 300 million euros to Italy for the implementation of ERTMS. As the EC specified, the money will be granted “to railway companies for the acquisition and installation of ERTMS...Read more
Not half of new railway cars equipped with ERTMS: ‘no business case’
54 per cent of new vehicles put into operation between 2015 and 2019 were done so without ERTMS onboard units being equipped. This is in contrast with the ambition of the EU to gradually implement...Read more
Taxing motorways to finance rail infrastructure? SNCF CEO says yes
To finance the 100-billion-euro plan announced last month by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou insists that “all accessible sources of funding must be used”. He even proposes taxing motorways and airports...Read more
The Netherlands and Belgium are neighbours yet so far in ERTMS rollout
Belgium prides itself that 52 per cent, or 3,333 kilometres, of its national railway network, is equipped with ETCS. Across the border in the Netherlands, by contrast, ‘only’ four lines are currently under ERTMS. Indeed,...Read more
Karima Delli to EU: ‘Stop the blah blah, we want results’
Karima Delli, Chairwoman of the ‘Transport’ committee of the European Parliament, presented a new joint declaration from the rail freight industry urging the EU to accelerate the modal shift to rail. Delli highlighted that if...Read more
Renfe: 122 million euros to improve rail freight in Spain
Spanish national railway company Renfe will invest 122,7 million euros for the improvement of the rail freight transportation system. The funds will be used to acquire new, greener, rolling stock and to implement new technologies...Read more
Digital 66 about to revolutionise UK East Coast freight operations
EXCLUSIVEThe first freight locomotive has entered fitting out with an advanced digital communications package, necessary for the step-change upgrade to the prestige London – Scotland main line. Rail freight operator DB Cargo UK and technology...Read more
‘ERTMS deployment is stuck in a vicious circle’
The on-board rollout of ETCS is behind schedule because operators have little incentive to invest in the system when they can still run on class-B systems, says Marcin Wojcik, Policy Officer at the European Commission...Read more
Dutch rail freight carriers outraged over lack of government support
Rail carriers in the Netherlands are not compensated for the 12 per cent increase of track access charges, nor for the cost involved with the transformation to ERTMS. State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management...Read more
‘No Green Deal without investments in rail infrastructure’
Investment in rail infrastructure and the EU-added value this creates, are extremely important if the EU wants to achieve its objectives of decarbonisation, digitalisation, and increased competitiveness. This will be the core message of the...Read more
ProRail CEO: we must seize the Year of Rail for more sustainability
The UN climate summit in Glasgow last year was moved to November 2021. This gives the rail sector the opportunity to work towards this event in the European Year of Rail. ProRail director John Voppen...Read more
Germany: 200 million state aid for interoperability
The European Commission has approved a 200 million euros scheme by the German state for the upgrade of rail vehicles in the area of Stuttgart. Financial support will take the form of direct grants to...Read more
EU’s mobility strategy: ‘rail freight traffic will double by 2050’
The European Commission announced its ‘sustainable and smart mobility strategy’ and ‘action plan’ with regards to the transformation of European transportation. Objectives concern the doubling of rail freight traffic by 2050, and the doubling of...Read more