Intermodal specialist Ekol expands into Sweden
Turkish-based intermodal specialist Ekol Logistics plans to increase the frequency of its Scandinavia-bound train cargoes after opening a new division in Sweden. Ekol Nordics marks another major step for the company which already operates across Europe,...Read more
Wascosa expands wagon fleet
Wascosa, the Switzerland-based freight wagon leasing firm, is expanding its fleet with the purchase of 1,700 new wagons. This investment in new rolling stock will also further bring down the average age of its fleet...Read more
Germany speeds up 740-metre freight train network upgrades
Germany’s rail freight operators have welcomed the government’s planned acceleration of infrastructure upgrades to enable 740-metre long freight trains to operate across the network. The Federal Transport Ministry has given a positive assessment of measures necessary...Read more
Over 6,000 China-Europe freight trains since 2011
Freight trains between China and Europe have made more than 6,200 trips since this vital West-East trading corridor opened in 2011.Read more
CER and ETF work plan focuses on freight
A special focus on rail freight forms part of a joint work plan by the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) and the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER). Following a meeting in Brussels, the...Read moreFreight wagon derails after Dutch collision
Track repairs were needed after a freight wagon was partially derailed when it was hit by a Captrain locomotive near the Dutch city of Venlo. National infrastructure manager ProRail said the derailed wagon, which had the...Read more
Hector Rail appoints John Smith as CEO
John Smith, the MD and founder of GB Railfreight (GBRf) has been appointed as the new CEO of its parent company the Hector Rail Group. Hector Rail, an independent train haulage provider established in 2004, is...Read more
Revamped Euro Cargo France creates new corridors
Euro Cargo Rail (ECR), the French subsidiary of DB Cargo, has completed its restructuring measures to enable it to focus on three newly-established transport corridors. The company has regrouped its operational functions, streamlined processes and improved...Read more
Hupac launches Rotterdam-Stuttgart shuttle
Hupac Maritime Logistics has launched a new shuttle linking the Port of Rotterdam and the major German industrial areas of Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg. The container train departs the DUSS terminal in Kornwestheim on Monday, Wednesday and...Read more
Hamburg Metrans intermodal orders new TRAXX locos
The Port of Hamburg intermodal subsidiary Metrans has significantly boosted its rail freight operations with an order for ten more powerful TRAXX multisystem locomotives from Bombardier. Metrans, a branch of the port’s logistical and transportation arm...Read more
Spanish government incentivises truck to train shift
The Spanish Ministry of Development has announced a plan to incentivise the modal shift of truck traffic to rail freight, as part of a five-year transport strategy. Iñigo de la Serna, Minister for Development, said there...Read more
Belarus economy benefiting from China-Europe trains
Rail cargo traffic travelling from China to Europe through Belarus doubled in 2017, according to the head of Belarusian Railways, Vladimir Morozov. Over 3,000 China-Europe trains passed through the country last year, a trend expected to continue...Read more
Track fault confirmed as cause of freight derailment
A design fault on a section of track that had already been replaced seven years ago caused a freight train to derail in Somerset earlier this year, an official report has concluded. There were major delays...Read more
Freightliner safety message commended at film awards
A powerful safety message film featuring employees from Freightliner UK has won a commendation at an international film awards ceremony. The rail freight operator’s efforts to tackle safety in the workplace were recognised at CineRail...Read more
Portugal improves Viana do Castelo to Valença line
The Portuguese government says it will begin improvement works on the rail track between Viana do Castelo, a northern port, and Valença, a town close to the Spanish frontier marked by the river Miño. The...Read more
SBB Cargo delivers a kind helping hand to families
Swiss rail freight carrier SBB Cargo has teamed up with international aid agency Adra to deliver a very different kind of cargo this festive season. By transporting containers full of donated essential items, they are...Read more
Ekol boosts French rail freight potential with new branches
The French arm of Turkish-owned logistics specialist Ekol has strengthened its rail freight infrastructure with the opening of new branches in Paris and Lyon. Additional rail services in and out of the French capital could soon...Read more
Rail freight 2017 & ahead – by ERFA’s Julia Lamb
To say it’s been a challenging year for the rail freight sector, not least in Europe, is an understatement. While the immediate effects of the Rastatt landslip in August were nothing short of an operational...Read more
DB Cargo boss reflects on an ‘eventful’ year
Raimund Stüer, head of Europe’s largest rail operator DB Cargo, believes the coming year will mean adapting to the changing needs of the logistics sector. In his end-of-year message to customers, he said the disruption...Read more