Rail freight operators in Europe are performing very differently. Big names such as DB Cargo and Lineas are in trouble, but in Poland, the annual figures were an invitation to uncork the champagne bottle.Read more
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) will invest 38,8 million francs (39.5 million euros) to build a transshipment facility in Domodossola, one of the most active rail freight hubs in Italy. The facility in...Read more
In the European Union, the use and maintenance of rail freight wagons is regulated by two directives, one from 2006 for their use and one from 2019 for their maintenance. The Swiss Federal Office of...Read more
Freight transport across the Alps in 2023 decreased both when it comes to road and rail, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT). Concerning rail freight, volumes dropped by 5.9 per cent compared...Read more
The Swiss SBB Group brought its finances back to the black in 2023 for the first time since 2019. Strong passenger transport performance led the Group’s recovery. Cargo performance was still in the red for...Read more
Multiple challenges, some continuing from previous years and some appearing out of the blue, created a not-so-business-friendly environment for intermodal operator Hupac in 2023. The company saw its traffic and volumes declining across its whole...Read more
SBB will adjust the service timetable through the Gotthard axis for the Easter period, bringing some changes for freight traffic. The Swiss company aims to facilitate commuters during the holidays and thus will increase passenger...Read more
Cargo Sous Terrain (CST), a Swiss project to implement an underground freight-dedicated rail network is now entering a new phase. The Swiss Federal Offices of Transport and Territorial Development opened the audition period, during which...Read more
The 2020s will be a stagnant decade for the Rhine-Alpine Rail Freight Corridor (RFC), which runs from Genoa, in Italy, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Various bottlenecks along the corridor are expected to remain at...Read more
Germany’s railways may face a lack of financing security. Rail association Allianz pro-Schiene reports that the financing for railways is secure for a duration of only a single year. In comparison, Austria and Switzerland have...Read more
The Swiss Federal Council recently announced that it will transfer some money destined for the Railway Infrastructure Fund (RIF) to boost single wagonload (SWL) traffic in the country. The funds are coming from the so-called...Read more
The Swiss Federal Council wants to make funds available to improve the country’s rail freight sector and keep single wagonload transport financially viable. If approved by the Swiss Parliament, the initiative will see hundreds of...Read more
The Italian infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) launched a tender for 117 million euros, co-financed by Switzerland, to boost intermodality in northeastern Italy. More specifically, the railway between Arona and Verbania, along the southeastern...Read more
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport issued the type-approval for automated brake tests for SBB Cargo trains. In-service tests will be held at selected locations over the next three months, with a large-scale rollout planned...Read more
Switzerland and the European Union (EU) agreed to extend their cooperation with the European Railway Agency (ERA) until 31 December 2024. Under this agreement, ERA has been taking responsibility for vehicle authorisation, safety certification, and...Read more
SBB will implement timetable changes on 10 December that will affect operations through the impaired Gotthard Base Tunnel. The Swiss national railway company will increase capacity for passenger trains during the weekend. However, it will...Read more
The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) updated the country’s strategy for the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The new programme focusses on implementing cab-signalling with European Train Control System (ETCS)...Read more
Crossing the Alps by rail is currently as difficult as it must have been for Hannibal over 2,000 years ago. The closures, partial or total, of the Gotthard and Frejus axes are causing major disruptions...Read more
Rail freight in Switzerland over the first six months of 2023 dropped by 6 per cent compared to the same period in 2022, for a total of 13,9 million tonnes. Throughout the same period, the...Read more
Accident updateThe west tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel is currently unavailable due to a disastrous freight train derailment last August. Despite the still-usable east shaft being reserved for rail freight, the Federal Swiss Railway said...Read more
The Italian private rail freight sector has kept growing since the early 2000s, despite the state-owned entity, Mercitalia Rail, still keeping the largest slice of the pie. All in all, the situation in Italy concerning...Read more