European Vehicle Register: upgrade or bust?
analysisThe rail industry in Europe is asking to make the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) the registration entity in the context of the European Vehicle Register (EVR), a European database where wagon keepers can...Read more
CT Directive revision: ‘Not a panacea, but work in progress’
File: Greening Freight Package The EU Commission has unveiled its combined transport Directive revision proposal, closing the cycle it opened in July when publishing the proposals of the Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP). The sentiment following the announcement is...Read moreCombined Transport: some notes in view of the Directive’s revision
File: Greening Freight Package EU legislators are moving closer to publishing the revised Combined Transport Directive (CTD). It is a matter of a few days before it becomes public, and the industry awaits to see what changes it could...Read more
Doubling rail freight’s market share is about meeting basic requirements
ANALYSISOne of Europe’s fundamental objectives regarding transport decarbonisation is to double rail freight’s market share by 2050. The target has been questioned by many, like the European Court of Auditors, but the industry still believes...Read more
A question to the Commission about the Greening Freight Package
File: Greening Freight Package Concerns about the EU Commission’s Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP) approach are intensifying. The initial optimism of July is now transforming into increasing scepticism and fear about what is expected from the legislative proposals and...Read more
Combined Transport Directive should be ready by November
File: Greening Freight Package The Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP) remains one of the most relevant topics in the rail freight industry in Europe. Among the most discussed and awaited aspects is the Combined Transport Directive (CTD). Akos Ersek,...Read more
Greening Freight Package: intermodal measures ‘irrelevant or ineffective’
File: Greening Freight Package Scepticism from the rail freight industry concerning parts of the EU’s Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP) is now taking the form of direct calls to the EU Parliament and Council to avoid detrimental mistakes. A...Read more
Gotthard accident aftermath: ‘There is no more room for error’
The east tunnel of the Gotthard Base Tunnel has been reopened for freight traffic after a massive train derailment two weeks ago. Akos Ersek, Chief Policy Advisor at UIRR told RailFreight.com that this is now...Read more
Combined transport performance validates industry concerns
The news could be better for European combined transport, which experienced a substantial shrinking of 14.41 per cent between April-June 2023. The percentage results when comparing performance with the same period last year. Additionally, according...Read more
DB Netz: ‘New cancellation fee due to disruptions caused by rail operators’
DB Netz’s new cancellation fee for 2024 is rousing discontent in the railway sector all over Europe. However, it seems that nothing will change since the German government approved the infrastructure manager’s request. A spokesperson...Read more
RailFreight Webinars: Unwrapping the Greening Freight Package
The RailFreight Connects days are less than two months away. RailFreight.com is organising a webinar on Thursday 20 July at 2 pm to give a little taste of what to expect from this new event....Read more
Greening Freight Package: first look positive, concrete actions must follow
File: Greening Freight Package The European Commission’s proposals for greener freight transport announced on Tuesday, 11 July, seem to be on the right track. The new Greening Freight Package measures highlight rail and the optimised capacity use and allocation...Read more
Kouvola RRT is in the driver’s seat for smart and sustainable logistics
Finland’s first dry port is also a champion for the Green Transition. The Kouvola Rail & Road Terminal (RRT) enables a more versatile utilisation of environmentally friendly rail transport. But what other factors weigh in...Read more
Combined transport needs political will, and it needs it now
File: Greening Freight Package With a negative outlook and losses that will probably not be recovered for the time being, combined transport in Europe could be in a better place. Electricity prices impacting the final product and the overall...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
Is doubling rail freight’s share by 2050 ‘simply unrealistic’?
The latest transport report by the European Court of Auditors is a “punch in the gut” for rail. “Doubling the rail freight market’s share by 2050 is simply unrealistic, and the EU freight transport network...Read more
Market conditions plunge combined transport promising a rough year
European combined transport (CT) contracted in the last quarter of 2022 by 6,46 per cent. The drop owes to hostile market conditions like high electricity costs and reduced economic activity, but also poor railway performance....Read more
Hungary submits railway plans for EU funding, crucial projects are missing
The Hungarian government submitted a funding request to EU’s Connecting Europe Facility 2 for several domestic railway projects. Although some of the railway schemes included in the proposal are relevant for rail freight development in...Read more
“Combined transport has a big leverage, we don’t have to wait for anything”
Ralf-Charley Schultze, chairman of UIRR, was recently reappointed for four more years in the management board of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). In the board, Schultze represents the freight customers, including terminals, railway...Read more