Ukrainian Railways is ready to take the next step in its in-house production of rail components. According to Daniil Hlushchenko, deputy director of production in the Ukrainian company, European-style grain trucks and universal freight cars suitable for use as covered cars and grain trucks are the next items on the menu. Ukrainian Railways started in-house […]
Author: Nikos Papatolios
DB Cargo restructuring: massive job cuts or not?
DB Cargo is attempting to improve its loss-making performance, and plans entail restructuring the company’s business. In doing so, Europe’s largest freight operator aims to outsource a large part of operations to other companies, some of them DB subsidiaries. This process will open the way for DB to focus closely on the remaining operations by […]
Polish protesters deliver promise, blocking and spilling Ukrainian cargo
The escalation of protests that Polish farmers announced a few days ago is occurring. Protesters gathered at the Medyka freight station on the Polish-Ukrainian border and targeted wagons carrying grain destined for Germany. Specifically, they opened the hatches of two freight wagons and spilt over the contained cargo. Ukrainian Railways expressed their dismay and called […]
METRANS expands Southeast Europe business with Adria Rail’s acquisition
METRANS has just completed the full acquisition of AdriaRail Group. The company had taken over 51 per cent of Adria Rail’s stakes in March 2023, while now it has proceeded to acquire the remaining 49 per cent. “We have reached another important milestone in the expansion of our European network,” commented Peter Kiss, CEO of […]
European Parliament clears path for revised TEN-T guidelines
In a significant move towards modernising Europe’s transportation infrastructure, the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee has embraced the compromise text on the Revision of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Guidelines. This milestone sets the stage for adoption by the European Parliament Plenary ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections, followed by anticipated approval by […]
Combined transport sector records five consecutive quarters of losses
Combined transport’s performance has been a tale of “a concurrent series of crises,” says industry association UIRR. The sector experienced losses for a fifth consecutive business quarter. Performance during Q4 2023 shrank by 11,1 per cent compared to the same period in 2022. At the same time, the business sentiment among professionals remained ‘slightly negative’, […]
DB carries out successful rehearsal for Frankfurt-Mannheim line closure
On 15 July 2024, a landmark infrastructure upgrade project will begin in Germany. The Frankfurt am Main-Mannheim line, one of the busiest routes in Germany and an integral part of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, will enter a five-month upgrade phase. In preparation for the works, Deutsche Bahn implemented a route diversion rehearsal that was deemed successful, […]
MEPs approve Weights and Dimensions Directive to rail’s dismay
The Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD), part of the Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP), has been approved by the EU Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee on Wednesday, 14 February. The Committee voted in favour of the legislative proposal by 26 votes to 11 and one abstention. Unfortunately, the green light came without considering remarks made […]
Hupac’s 2023 performance indicates the struggles of European rail
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 network and has implemented strategic moves to tackle the harsh market conditions. In 2023, Hupac transported approximately 975,000 road consignments, […]