Cargo Sous Terrain (CST), a Swiss project to implement an underground freight-dedicated rail network is now entering a new phase. The Swiss Federal Offices of Transport and Territorial Development opened the audition period, during which the parties involved can submit their views on the project. Starting from 1 February, the Swiss cantons under which CST’s […]
Author: Marco Raimondi
Spain starts 2024 strong with TEN-T developments
The Spanish integration of EU railway standards and the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is taking shape. The year started with some significant developments for rail freight, mostly regarding the Mediterranean and the Atlantic TEN-T corridors running through the country. In the context of the Mediterranean Corridor, the extension of various sidings to handle longer convoys […]
Rail Cargo Group launches Linz-Duisburg-Rotterdam connection
The Austrian national rail freight operator Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is implementing a new TransFER connection between Linz, Duisburg and Rotterdam. The new link can be seen as an extension of the Linz-Wels-Duisburg RCG connection. This, as the company pointed out, will create a direct link stretching from Austria to the Netherlands. The service will […]
The Port of Trieste gains rail infrastructure manager status
The Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Authority, which manages Italy’s largest port in Trieste, was awarded the status of rail infrastructure manager from the National Agency for Railway and Road Infrastructure Safety (ANSFISA). With the new certification, which is a first-of-its-kind for an Italian port, the Authority can now manage the infrastructure of the whole facility. […]
Who stands to benefit from the Weights and Dimensions Directive?
The Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) is one of the pillars of the Greening Freight Package (GFP), a bundle of measures proposed by the European Union to make all modes of transport more sustainable. However, finding a solution that satisfies all the parties involved seems to remain a Herculean task, as none of the various […]
Rail Cargo Group starts construction of new Wels terminal
The Austrian national rail freight company Rail Cargo Group (RCG) started the upgrade of the rail terminal in Wels, roughly 30 kilometres southwest of Linz. The four loading tracks will be extended from 580 to 700 metres to accommodate longer block trains. The total investment for the terminal upgrade, which will be shared by RCG […]
Frejus Railway reopening might be delayed even further
The works to repair the Frejus Railway, the main railway border crossing between France and Italy, may need more time than previously expected. Emmanuel Manier Director of the Southeast Engineering Zone for SNCF Réseau, recently said that it might be necessary to demolish and completely rebuild the Frejus rail tunnel. This process, he said, would […]
French region to fill the financial gap for Turin-Lyon access routes
The French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, which includes Lyon, said it is willing to cover the 20 million euros missing for the studies for the French access routes to the future Turin-Lyon railway. The region President, Laurent Wauquiez, claimed that the money allocation is dependent on state investments in everyday mobility in the region. The French […]
CER urges for more pragmatism in rail capacity allocation
The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) said Europe needs a more pragmatic approach to reach the goals set by the Green Deal. For rail freight, this means “more flexibility on short-term capacity allocation”, as CER mentioned. The need for more concrete solutions was brought up on Tuesday, 23 January, during a meeting […]
DB vs GDL: strike ends, negotiations to resume
The strike announced by the German Train Drivers (GDL) trade union between 23-29 January ended 24 hours earlier than planned. This means that for rail freight, trains started running again in the evening of Sunday, 28 January. GDL will now sit back at the negotiating table with Deutsche Bahn (DB) between 5 February and 3 […]