Etihad Rail, the rail company of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cosco Shipping Ports Abu Dhabi Container Freight Station. The partnership will enable Cosco’s subsidiary to use the UAE’s railway network to move its cargo from the Khalifa port, 100 kilometres south of Dubai, to other logistics centres in…
Author: Marco Raimondi
‘A fairer rail freight market means fewer state-owned companies’
“There is no reason for the member states to act indirectly as market participants via state-owned, integrated companies”. This was stated in a joint paper by UIRR, ERFA, Die Güterbahnen and RailGood, which set out what they think are the most important measures for rail freight transport in Europe between 2024 and 2029. According to…
More DAC tests are over, developments remain vague
A consortium led by SBB Cargo recently submitted a report to the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) on the DAC+ tests it has been running since March 2023. These tests focussed on the digital aspects of the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) such as data transfer. The company said that the tests led to important…
French National Assembly urges EU Member States to boycott the WDD
The French National Assembly, part of the French Parliament, is asking its government to oppose the Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) of the Greening Freight Package (GFP). They are also calling for “Member States to retain full control over the parameters for authorising cross-border driving conditions for lorries over 40 tonnes”. The European Parliament approved…
‘TACs in Poland should be reduced by 50 per cent in the next five years’
The Polish Federation of Independent Rail Operators (ZNPK) asked the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure for a gradual reduction of Track Access Charges over the next five years. The final goal would be to have them reduced by 50 per cent to increase the competitiveness of rail freight. According to ZNPK’s head Michał Litwin, the Polish…
‘TACs in Poland should be reduced by 50 per cent in the next five years’
The Polish Federation of Independent Rail Operators (ZNPK) asked the country’s Ministry of Infrastructure for a gradual reduction of Track Access Charges over the next five years. The final goal would be to have them reduced by 50 per cent to increase the competitiveness of rail freight. According to ZNPK’s head Michał Litwin, the Polish…
Valencia-Madrid rolling highway enters test phase
The rolling highway service between Valencia and Madrid is one step closer to starting operations. The first testing phase started over the weekend, with Tramesa, one of the headliners of the project, underlining that it will not be an easy task. The deployment of the rolling highway between Valencia and Madrid was announced in the…
Valencia-Madrid rolling highway enters test phase
The rolling highway service between Valencia and Madrid is one step closer to starting operations. The first testing phase started over the weekend, with Tramesa, one of the headliners of the project, underlining that it will not be an easy task. The deployment of the rolling highway between Valencia and Madrid was announced in the…
Belgian regions and banks to provide 46 million euros to save Lineas
The Belgian regions of Flanders and Wallonia are joining forces in an effort to keep Lineas, the main rail freight operator in the country, alive. The two regions, with a couple of Belgian banks, will provide a total of 46 million euros to keep the company financially afloat. Lineas has been struggling financially, mostly due…
Deutsche Bahn selects four finalists for DB Schenker sale
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has chosen the four finalists for the sale of DB Schenker. The last contenders are Danish shipping giants Maersk and DSV, the Saudi national shipping carrier Bahri and a partnership between investments funds CVC Capital Partners, Carlyle Group and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. This means that MSC is no longer in…