Spanish rail freight association demands state support for energy prices
The Association of Owners and Operators of Wagons of Spain (Faprove) asked for Spanish rail freight companies to be included as beneficiaries of the financing from the cap on energy prices. The association did so...Read more
Do EU transport ministers hear the railway sector’s pleas?
The informal meeting of the Eu transport ministers on Friday, 21 October, could produce some palpable energy measures for the railway sector. The energy, and specifically, electricity crisis plaguing rail freight and passenger transport currently...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
EBRD gives 100 million euros lifeline to Ukrainian Railways
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will grant an additional 98,8 million euros to the Ukrainian Railways in an attempt to resolve urgent liquidity issues and ensure the seamless continuation of cargo and passenger...Read more
China’s BRI takes over the world: is Europe ready to respond?
ANALYSISChina seems to be overtaking Europe in global infrastructure investments, with EU leaders alarmed about the possible consequences. How does China benefit from expanding the Silk Road to other continents, and what could be Europe’s...Read more
Lithuania imposes more traffic restrictions on Kaliningrad despite second thoughts
The Lithuanian customs have imposed a ban on the transit of Russian cement, alcohol and other products on their way to Kaliningrad by rail. The restrictions came into force on Sunday, 10 July, after a...Read more
EU could reverse Kaliningrad rail cut-off, fearing escalation with Russia
The European Union could reconsider the implementation of sanctions on cargo transit to Kaliningrad. After the initial decision to ban the transit of some products through Lithuanian territory, followed by Moscow’s threat to retaliate, the...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
Military mobility in action: LTG loads tanks on trains for the first time
Lithuanian Railways had a first-hand experience of military rail freight a couple of days ago. US troops loaded their military equipment in the Palemonas loading facility in Vilnius for the first time. “It was a...Read more
TEN-T revision is on the right track for intermodal transport
The ongoing TEN-T regulation amendment seems to be on the right track to support the growth of intermodal and combined transport. “The infrastructure parameters for longer trains, the provision of sufficient track capacity for them...Read more
These Russian banks are excluded from SWIFT
The EU has extended sanctions on Russian banks. Since 2 March, it has excluded seven Russian banks from the SWIFT system. “This practically means that these banks will barely have access to international markets”, explains...Read more
EU imposes sanctions on Russia, what do they mean for rail freight?
The EU has officially adopted sanctions against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. The European Council decided to enforce “massive and severe consequences” for Russia that can be summarised in five main pillars: financial sector,...Read more
Xi Jinping: China ready to advance trade relations with the EU
China’s president Xi Jinping is willing to work closely with the EU and embrace their agreements. In a communication with France’s president Emmanuel Macron last week, he stressed that France’s EU presidency could leverage the...Read more
EU still lags in implementing major infrastructure projects
A comparative review conducted by the European Court of Auditors identified that the EU policies are still quite weak when it comes to implementing infrastructure projects. Even though the EU does not face strategy definition...Read more
UIRR: yes to rail freight support, no to neglecting combined transport
Transport Ministers from Fifteen different EU Member States signed and adopted a Joint Position Paper on 31 March. The Joint Paper calls out the EU Commission to launch an initiative for the support of rail...Read more
Will EU transit via Russia become possible in 2020?
Five months after lifting the ban on the transit of EU fresh products to third countries via Russia, transportation of this freight is still not possible. To change this, Russia should create clarity about the...Read more
Russia forms new rules for electronic seals transit goods
The government of Russia will develop the requirements for electronic seals to be used for transit goods from the EU to China. The new legislation should be composed by the end of July. The use of...Read moreLifted Russian ban on transit traffic: big advantage with many questions
Russia has lifted the ban on the transit of EU fresh products. What impact will the decision have on the European logistics industry? Which products are allowed for transportation via Russia? What requirements should the...Read more
PKP Cargo wants to become EU leader on New Silk Road
PKP Cargo, the largest Polish rail freight company, wants to become the European champion of rail freight transportation on the New Silk Road. Such an ambitious goal was documented in the Strategy of PKP Cargo...Read more