Normal vs wide gauge: not just the width, a different philosophy
The EU is currently assessing the possibility of extending the normal gauge of the European railway network to Ukraine and Moldova, as part of its effort to better integrate the countries in the European transport...Read more
Russian Railways feels neglected by EU, urges to lift sanctions
Russian Railways has sent an appeal to the Council of the European Union with the urgent request to lift the sanctions that apply to the railway company. It has asked to be exempted from these...Read more
Switzerland, EU discuss extension of joint land transport agreement
Swiss authorities have voiced support for extending cooperation with the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) as both sides stressed the importance of simplifying cross-border traffic. At the most recent meeting of the Joint Land...Read more
TEN-T map for Ukraine back on the table, this time prioritised
The EU and Ukraine have dusted off the TEN-T maps for Ukraine, and are more willing than ever before to invest in the transport connections to and from the country. The maps that were initially...Read more
EU digs out millions to prepare rail for military use
To improve infrastructure for military and civilian purposes, the EU has selected 22 projects and grants 339 million euros in an accelerated awarding round of the EU Military Mobility fund. Around 160 million euros will...Read more
How liberalised is the EU rail freight market?
The liberalisation of the rail freight market in the EU is developing well. In 2021, there is an almost equal representation of incumbents linked to a holding company and the private companies, or subsidiaries of...Read more
Ukraine counts on rail to increase export capacity to EU
Ukrainian Railways wants to double the capacity of border crossing with EU countries, in order to maintain its export capacity. Russia is blocking the main seaports of Ukraine, limiting its possibilities to export mainly agricultural...Read more
EU sanctions on Belarus, more sanctions on Russia
In addition to harsh sanctions imposed on Russia, the EU has announced a list of sanctions on Belarus, responding to its aid to Russia in the war in Ukraine. These sanctions were announced on Sunday...Read more
€80 million from EU for better connection to Budapest
The Commission has approved an investment of over 80 million euros from the Cohesion Fund to improve train connections for freight and passenger transport in the region of Northern Great Plain in Hungary.Read more
European railway pact signed in Paris: ‘we need massive investments’
Europe’s major railway players have called for massive investments in rail. On Monday, 33 players in the railway sector from 24 European countries signed pact to that end during the European Railway Summit in Paris...Read more
COVID Impact Tracker: rail freight lost 4 billion in 2021
The 2021 results of the ‘CER COVID Impact Tracker’, carried out by the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) are in. COVID-related revenue losses of the rail sector in the European Union (EU27)...Read more
This is the EU response to the Belt and Road Initiative
The European Commission will facilitate investments in infrastructure in Third World countries. Brussels is making some 300 billion euros available for this. This is part of the recently announced Global Gateway EU initiative.Read more
Is your transport flow eligible for a shift to rail?
Shippers that wonder if their transport could also be done by rail have just got a new way to find out. In MATCH 2 RAIL, they can upload their journey, and the tool will align...Read more
Digital Capacity Management to free up space on congested EU railways
Europe’s major infrastructure managers and railway undertakings have laid the cornerstones of the future of Digital Capacity Management (DCM). DCM will contribute to freeing up capacity on congested lines for both passenger and freight traffic....Read more
Meet the automatic coupler that will revolutionise European rail freight
The future Europe-wide Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) design has been selected. The standard coupler head design that has prevailed over other prototypes is the Scharfenberg type. This decision is a milestone in the process that,...Read more
‘EU Year of Rail not extended, but one year definitely not enough’
The European Year of Rail will not be extended. This idea was proposed by Eu rail associations CER, EIM and UNIFE, considering the impact of the pandemic on the activities. However, there is already a...Read more7 billion euros available for EU infrastructure projects
A call for proposals launched on 16 September under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport programme makes available 7 billion euros for projects targeting new, upgraded and improved European transport infrastructure. The majority of...Read more
16 billion euros set aside for rail transport in Poland
Poland will be the biggest beneficiary of the upcoming EU financial perspective for 2021–2027. Around 170 billion euros is expected to be dedicated to the country. In total, 16 billion euros has been set aside...Read more
The Fit for 55 package – good news for rail?
The European Commission has unveiled its ambitious ‘Fit for 55’ regulatory package. The objective is to deliver at least a 55 per cent reduction of EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This is considerably higher...Read more