Author: Marco Raimondi

LTG Cargo deals with a rising number of attempts to evade sanctions

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…

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…