Commission: temporary restrictions on Ukrainian products due to logistical bottlenecks
The EU Commission decided to temporarily restrict the import of four Ukrainian agricultural products in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. The restrictions concern wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed, and they aim to “alleviate...Read more
Full migration to standard gauge out of the picture for Finland
The costs of migrating the whole Finnish TEN-T network from 1,524 mm gauge to the European standard are far greater than the possible benefits deeming such an option unfeasible. A viable alternative would be the...Read more
TEN-T revision: critical steps, but also dangers ahead
The Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament has unanimously adopted its position regarding the revision of the TEN-T regulations. In the proposal that still needs to be approved by the EU parliament plenary,...Read more
Macron and Von der Leyen in China: EU de-risking, Ukraine and trade
ANALYSISThe much-discussed visit of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission head Ursula Von der Leyen in China is unfolding. By meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two European leaders aim to push for...Read more
Commission unwilling to adopt all suggestions of ECA intermodal report
The EU Commission responded swiftly to the European Court of Auditors’ report on intermodal transport and the share of rail freight. The report, which provided worrisome findings, might illustrate the situation as overly dramatic according...Read more
A common language for European train drivers: additional hurdle or solution?
ANALYSISThe European rail sector remains divided: should there be a common language for cross-border train operations for staff such as train drivers, personnel and traffic controllers? The remarkable thing is that the freight association ERFA,...Read more
Official: Germany pumps 1,1 billion to cover rail electricity bills
With the EU’s approval, Germany will pour 1,1 billion euros into its rail sector to alleviate it from the skyrocketing electricity traction prices. The German government decided to act against the increased energy costs in...Read more
Fret SNCF under EU’s microscope for state aid rules compliance
The rail freight subsidiary of SNCF, Fret SNCF, is subject to investigation by the European Commission. The investigation’s objective is to determine whether financial measures taken in favour of the rail freight company between 2007-2019...Read more
‘Too soon to scrap away broad gauge tracks,’ says Latvia
The decision of EU transport ministers that all EU member states should devise a plan to adopt the 1435mm railway gauge by 2025-2026 keeps finding resistance in the Baltic states. The recently appointed Latvian transport...Read more
180 million euros to support electric traction in Czechia
Rail in the Czech Republic is yet to benefit from another state aid scheme. The EU Commission approved a package of 180 million euros to support rail operators using electric traction. The measure targets improving...Read more
Commission injects nearly half a billion into French single wagonload transport
Another incentive is added for rail companies in France and a booster for the French national rail freight development plan. Last week, the European Commission approved a 450 million euros state aid scheme to support...Read more
CER throws the ball to von der Leyen’s court: “time for concrete energy measures”
After public requests, the European railway sector directly requested Brussels to take action against the electricity and energy crisis. With an open letter to the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, CER...Read more
EU’s electricity price cap is “the decision rail waited for”
On Friday, 30 September, the EU energy ministers’ council decided to adopt a price cap for electricity at 180 euros/MWh to tackle the galloping energy crisis. Despite the price being higher than pre-crisis levels, it...Read more
Commission intervenes to reduce spiking energy prices, compensations in the plans
The European Commission decided on an emergency energy market intervention to control and reduce the rising energy prices. The executive body issued three immediate measures that will see excess revenues from the fossil-fuel sector returning...Read moreEU Commission: 5 billion euros in infrastructure investments with multimodal angle
The European Commission is ready to release 5,12 billion euros through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in infrastructure projects targeting mainly the TEN-T network and multimodal transport. For interested parties, a call for proposals will...Read more
Railway sector fears unstable energy supply, calls Brussels to act
With the increasing energy bills and insecurity about a steady supply, the European railway sector calls for action. Sector associations Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA)...Read more
EU wants standard European track gauge for all member states
The European Commission proposed introducing a standard European track width of 1435mm for all member states. This is because the war in Ukraine has made Brussels realise that different track gauges can cause many restrictions...Read more
Kaliningrad-bound trains back on track after sanction update
UPDATEThe first Kaliningrad-bound train from Russia reached the Lithuanian border on Tuesday, 26 July. After a few weeks of uncertainty, this train marks the restoration of rail freight traffic between Russia and its exclave.Read more
DB in the state aid loop again with multimillion financial injection
Deutsche Bahn will receive 215 million euros in the form of equity injection under the EU’s state aid guidelines. The financial support scheme was approved by Brussels, aiming to compensate the German national company for...Read more