The UIRR Sentiment Index reflecting business sentiment for the coming year 12-months has been adjusted a notch down for the second quarter in a row: the index currently stands at ‘slightly negative’. The conditions for...Read more
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
ERFA, UIP, and UIRR urged the EU to activate “an emergency intervention to address high energy prices that will be applied to traction electricity used by freight trains”. Electricity prices throughout the Union have increased...Read more
The Hungarian government has proposed a 40 per cent reduction of track access charges on the national railway network. This would be realised by a temporary cancellation of the surcharge, which is an additional fee...Read more
The European Commission decided on an emergency energy market intervention to control and reduce the rising energy prices. The executive body issued three immediate measures that will see excess revenues from the fossil-fuel sector returning...Read more
With the increasing energy bills and insecurity about a steady supply, the European railway sector calls for action. Sector associations Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA)...Read more
Prices for electricity used in rail traction should be regulated and adjusted accordingly. If this is not the case, “combined transport can not compete with long-distance trucking,” urges UIRR while the most significant energy crisis...Read more
European combined transport’s performance has shrunk for the first time in one-and-a-half year. Volumes transported over a rail-road corridor declined by 0,46 per cent in the second quarter of 2022, compared to the same period...Read more
Zero-carbon door-to-door transport is already possible today. The secret lies in combined transport, using rail and, only for short distances, trucking. What is needed? CO2-free power generation, full electrification of rail transport, electrical terminal handling...Read more
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
A new initiative is underway to incentivise shippers and freight forwarders to use more rail. Shift2030, an enterprise promoting the modal shift, launched the Time2Shift action, providing what possible rail customers need more: practical information.Read more
After five years of negotiations, the new EU rules on road tolls are a fact. The European Parliament adopted the Eurovignette Directive on Thursday 17 February. However, the new rules mean little good news for...Read more
On the same day the TEN-T regulation was revised, the European Commission published the Action Plan to Boost Long-Distance and Cross-Border Passenger Rail. Such a plan is also needed for rail freight, says the UIRR....Read more
The intermodal sector should be bold, and make a case for the sector in Brussels and at home, said Barbara Thaler, Tyrolean Member of the European Parliament and TRAN Committee member at the start of...Read more
With the climate goals of the EU, combined transport is in the spotlight. It is the low-hanging fruit, the International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport (UIRR) has repeatedly said, the solution to accomplish carbon-neutral transport....Read more
FERRMED published a study on traffic and modal shift optimisation in the EU. The study presents very interesting proposals on how rail freight can meet the 30 per cent by 2030 modal share. Among them...Read more
The European combined transport sector maintained its upward trajectory this year. During Q3 2021, combined transport scored a 6,18 per cent growth rate despite the generally unfavourable conditions. In contrast, it seems that these conditions...Read more
There should be a specific TSI on combined transport. This regulation should cover infrastructure, operation, traffic management and rolling stock subsystem aspects relevant for the interoperability of Intermodal Loading Units. That is the main conclusion...Read more
Efforts to revise the Combined Transport Directive have continued. The European Commission has revealed a new plan to change the legislative text. Among others, the scope of the Directive would be extended to cover all...Read more
A provisional agreement has been reached on the amendment of the Eurovignette Directive. This means that one more step has been taken towards a more equal playing field for rail and road transport. In practice,...Read more
Much of the European rail network is currently free of charge. This is thanks to the regulation that allows for a waiver, or reduction of track access charges during the pandemic. However, this possibility is...Read more
