The new TEN-T Regulation stresses that the difference in gauges in the EU “severely hampers the interoperability of the railway networks across the Union and even impacts the competitiveness of those isolated railway networks”. The document sets out the conditions for the gauge migration in Member States with a different gauge than 1435 mm. Member States with a different rail gauge will have two years from the entry into force of the Regulation to identify the lines along the TEN-T map in their territories eligible for migration. One year after this assessment, these countries will draw up a p ..read more

Shipping giant MSC recently unveiled its plan to take over the disused Wärtsilä plant at the port of Trieste and convert it into a rail rolling stock production factory. The main feature is the progressive reintegration into the new site by 2027 of the roughly 280 former Wärtsilä employees, currently under a Redundancy Fund (Cassa Integrazione). MSC’s investment for this project should revolve around 100 million euros. Time is of the essence since this Redundancy Fund expires at the of June. MSC’s plan envisages that 5 per cent of the workforce can start working again by July 2024 with an addi ..read more

Denmark’s Scan Global Logistics (SGL) has defended its continued use of Russia’s rail network to transport cargo between China and Europe, claiming its actions comply with all of the rules currently in place. With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the company’s position has attracted criticism, notably from within the logistics industry. DSV CEO Jens Lund stressed this week that freight transport companies should avoid Russian state railways, RZD, as “a matter of principle.” DSV CEO Jens Lund. Image: © DSV. However, in a recent media interview, Scan Global’s CEO Allan Melgaard made it clear whe ..read more

Waiting for the perfect solution to carbon emissions is the wrong strategy. Rail freight can deliver a good solution now, which is better overall, says Railfuture, the influential pressure group that promotes rail development in the UK. Railfuture is campaigning to get freight off road trucks and onto trains. They agree with the UK Government’s strategy on carbon reduction, but in a report, they say the government’s rail freight growth target will not achieve it. Railfuture says that mandating a modal shift to rail—even if that means using diesel trains in the interim—is worthwhile now and in ..read more

The European Parliament recently approved the revision of the TEN-T Regulation. The new document presents a few takeaways, but one of the biggest changes is a brighter spotlight on military mobility and security across the Old Continent. For example, additional railways and roads were included in the new TEN-T map “to enhance the synergies between civilian and military transport networks”. In addition, a new article (Article 48) was inserted in the TEN-T regulation specifically concerning military mobility. The article has two points. First, Member States can decide to disregard some of the st ..read more

Spain has allocated an additional 43,5 million euros for eco-incentive subsidies. With the subsidies, Spain intends to promote rail freight based on environmental and socioeconomic merit. The eco-incentive subsidies were introduced after a deal with the European Commission (EC) on the release of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Earlier, the EC wanted Madrid to implement new tolls for road haulage in 2024 in order to promote the use of railways. The toll implementation would be a precondition for unlocking billions in funding from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund (RFF). The ..read more

The railway between China and Laos has moved 8 million tonnes of goods since the start of operations on the route, according to Chinese data. The route, a joint project by the two countries, has been in operation since 2015 and is of vital importance for the Laotian economy. According to Agenzia Nova, the 8 million tonnes of transported goods primarily consist of fruits, grains, frozen seafood, electronic and mechanical components, as well as minerals and electric vehicles. For Laos, the route is of vital economic importance. It is the only landlocked country in South-East Asia, and approximat ..read more

PKP Cargo is planning to expand its operations into Ukraine as the company seeks to expand operations in more neighbouring countries. A move into Ukraine would take place after the construction of new infrastructure, according to PKP Cargo’s CEO Alan Beroud. PKP Cargo, a subsidiary of the state-owned Polish rail operator, plans to move into Ukraine. The company is waiting for new infrastructure in Ukraine to be built first, after which PKP Cargo will make its move. Currently, American companies are building transshipment terminals in Ukraine. Upon completion, PKP Cargo intends to apply for con ..read more

The deployment of electronic freight transport information (eFTI), is one of the pillars of the EU’s attempt to decarbonise the freight industry. The policy aims at digitalising freight transport documents, most of which are still currently circulating in a physical form. RailFreight.com had a chat with Eva Killar, Head of Mobility Development and Investments Department at the Estonian Ministry of Climate, and Heiti Mering, founder of the Estonian Digital Logistics Centre of Excellence, to discuss the eFTI programme and have a clearer understanding of it. The double interview will be published ..read more

Consistency in pursuing goals, political commitment and explicit financial guarantees. Those are the three pillars that will ensure rail investments take place in a targeted and efficient manner in pursuit of reaching climate and decarbonisation goals and making rail freight more competitive. According to ETF, CER, and UITP, it is high time the EU proved its commitment to supporting the sector. The European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) are firmly convinced t ..read more