The latest round of Military Mobility funds provided by the EU Commission as part of CEF has been approved. Railway projects are once again highlighted. Of the 807 million euros released by the Commission, approximately 485 million euros will target railway infrastructure projects. Eight out of thirty-eight projects will also directly impact freight. According to […]
Author: Nikos Papatolios
‘Rail is again an effective alternative for Eurasian transport’
All the more companies are identifying the same trend in Eurasian transport. With sea transport currently strained due to the situation in the Red Sea, rail is gradually becoming the preferred mode of transport between China and Europe. This is especially true for customers who want to avoid long transit times. As Martin Koubek, director […]
French funds still missing for Turin-Lyon tunnel access routes
Apart from the possibility of France missing CEF funding deadlines for constructing the Turin-Lyon railway, another issue persists. The project appears to be 15 to 20 million euros short in funds concerning investments in the railway’s access routes. If these funds are not found soon, the project will face another substantial obstacle towards its completion. […]
TX Logistik increases services between Lübeck and Northern Italy
January has been a month of service upgrades for TX Logistik. The intermodal operator has increased the frequency of two services between northern Germany and Northern Italy using Lübeck as the central hub. The first one is the Lübeck-Segrate Milan service, which now runs with six weekly roundtrips instead of four. The second and more […]
Germany: federal government approves amended rail budget cuts
The majority of the German coalition government has approved the proposed budgetary cuts for 2024. Concerns that rail transport would receive considerably less funds for the running year are now confirmed. Nevertheless, the situation is better than initially expected since the government made some essential adjustments. The expectation from the draft budget 2024 was that […]
After cutting subsidies, Germany also increases track access charges
DB InfraGo, which took over Germany’s rail network management effective January 2024, plans to increase track access charges by 13,4 per cent starting December 2024. The decision follows a substantial 49 per cent cut in subsidies for track access fees, which will probably occur during 2024. Peter Westenberger, managing director of the association DIE GÜTERBAHNEN, […]
‘Forget the IMEC, focus on the INSTC,’ says India
Instability caused by the ongoing war in Gaza and Houthi attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea has put the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) on hold until further notice. India seems to be reassessing its position within international transport routes in this context. Attention is now turned towards an ‘old acquaintance’: the International North-South Transport […]
METRANS launches daily train to boost exports via Hamburg
A new destination has been added to METRANS’ network this January. The company has launched a daily train between Kornwestheim, next to Stuttgart and the port of Hamburg. The new service aims to streamline exports from Western Germany via the country’s mega-hub. The train is already up and running since 8 January. The service runs […]
EU sets frail foundations for intermodal transport’s future
The European Commission’s proposal to amend the Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) concerning commercial road vehicles presents some problematic points. The railway sector is concerned that the proposal will result in a reverse modal shift from road to rail while also making road and rail transport incompatible in many cases, thus substantially harming intermodal and […]
Red Sea situation ‘a pleasant headache’ for the rail industry
Eurasian rail is currently experiencing a boom, with shippers affected by the situation in the Red Sea and Suez Canal shifting their cargo to trains. “Increased sea freight transit times and the dangers of the war zone cause concerns to shippers who are looking to rail as a viable alternative,” says Igor Tambaca, managing director […]