Attempts to circumvent Western sanctions on Russia and Belarus via rail through Lithuania grew exponentially between March and May. The Lithuanian national rail freight operator LTG Cargo said that four wagons were blocked and sent back at the Lithuanian border in March, while in May this number increased to 62. The company did not provide…
Author: Marco Raimondi
MSC’s takeover of Wärtsila site in Trieste gets a little more complicated
Shipping giant MSC is in talks with various stakeholders to gain control of the former Wärtsila plant in the port of Trieste and convert it into a rail rolling stock production site. However, multiple Italian trade unions are now highlighting how Wärtsila’s attitude might hamper the feasibility of the project. Wärtsila, a Finnish ship engine…
How does the role of IMs change with the latest Capacity Regulation draft?
The EU Council’s latest proposal for the Capacity Management Regulation (CMR) of the Greening Freight Package is bringing significant changes to the role of the European Network of Infrastructure Managers (ENIM). First and foremost, the new draft states that “ENIM shall have no policy-making or regulatory powers”. The role of ENIM has been one of…
Alstom to provide Mercitalia with 70 new locomotives
Mercitalia Rail, the freight arm of the Italian railway holding Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), finalised an agreement with French manufacturer Alstom for 70 Traxx Universal locomotives. The contract has a value of 323 million euros and includes the possibility of adding 30 more locomotives. With this deal, Alstom will also be tasked with the maintenance…
Capacity Regulation deployment could be delayed by three years
The EU Council’s new draft of the Capacity Management Regulation of the Greening Freight Package is causing adverse reactions, especially among the European rail freight sector. For example, the new version delays the Regulation’s implementation by three years. Moreover, the roles infrastructure managers (IMs) in the Regulation have been changed by the Council. Some of…
‘Policymakers are giving up on rail freight goals’
The EU Council adopted a General Approach on the Capacity Management Regulation of the Greening Freight Package on Tuesday, 18 June. This means that the EU Council presented a new version of the Regulation where several changes were introduced. This step, however, is not enough to meet the goals set out by the European Union…
Hundreds of PKP Cargo employees to be moved to passenger operator
The Polish national rail freight operator PKP Cargo is sailing through troubled waters due to decreasing volumes and performance. The company placed thousands of its employees into inactive status since the beginning of June. However, the situation is less bleak for up to 300 of them, who will be hired by Polregio, a Polish company…
Hundreds of PKP Cargo employees to be moved to passenger operator
The Polish national rail freight operator PKP Cargo is sailing through troubled waters due to decreasing volumes and performance. The company placed thousands of its employees into inactive status since the beginning of June. However, the situation is less bleak for up to 300 of them, who will be hired by Polregio, a Polish company…
Azerbaijan Railways might be the next to build a rail terminal in China
Azerbaijani Railways (ADY) is considering the option of purchasing or building a railway terminal in China. The company follows a recent trend initiated by KTZ, and possibly aims at maximizing the capacity of the Middle Corridor. ADY’s Chairman Rovshan Rustamov made the company’s intentions known to appoint a special representative for China, as Azerbaijani outlet…
EU Council gives final approval for new TEN-T regulation
The EU Council finally adopted the revised regulation concerning the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The act still needs to be signed by the Presidents of the EU Council and the European Parliament before being published in the EU’s official journal. The regulation will then enter into force 20 days after the publication.…