Marcus Roth is a software developer based in Frankfurt, and Thomas Heydenreich is a rail freight consultant based in Hamburg. Together, they ‘digitally’ founded RailAppSolutions to improve the exchange of information concerning wagon damage reports. More recently, they launched TrainChecker, an app that allows quicker wagon inspections via a photograph, thus speeding up rail freight […]
Author: Marco Raimondi
Volkswagen Navarra slightly reduced rail freight volumes in 2023
The Volkswagen Navarra factory in Pamplona, near the Spanish border with France, has slightly reduced the volumes they move via rail. Between 2022 and 2023, there was a decrease from 54.1 per cent to 51.9 per cent in the number of units the company moved via freight trains. Despite the last drop, the company claimed […]
EU Commission wants to extend trade liberalisation agreements for Ukraine
The European Commission wants to extend the measures concerning the liberalisation of agricultural trade between the EU and Ukraine. David Clarinval, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, the country holding the EU presidency, said that Member States will soon receive information about the initiative. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis added the Commission will present amendments to […]
Port of La Spezia gets 9 million euros from CEF to build new rail terminal
The Eastern Ligurian Sea Port Authority, which manages the port of La Spezia, will get nine million euros from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The funds will be deployed in the development of the new La Spezia Marittima rail terminal, which should start in February 2024. The initiative to upgrade the La Spezia Marittima terminal […]
GDL sends proposal to DB to end strike and resume negotiations
After launching a seven-day strike that might paralyze the transport sector in Germany, trade union GDL drafted a proposal for Deutsche Bahn (DB). If accepted, the union said it “will result in the suspension of strikes and the resumption of collective bargaining”. The union just rejected the third offer brought forward by DB, claiming that […]
Ukraine wants to ban Russian rolling stock imports for 50 years
The Ukrainian government asked the National Security and Defense Council to introduce a bundle of sanctions against Russia for the next 50 years. Among other initiatives, there is the proposal for a five-decade ban on the imports of Russian rail rolling stock in Ukraine. Other than the ban on rolling stock imports, the Ukrainian government […]
Bottlenecks on Rhine-Alpine Corridor to remain at least until 2030
The 2020s will be a stagnant decade for the Rhine-Alpine Rail Freight Corridor (RFC), which runs from Genoa, in Italy, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Various bottlenecks along the corridor are expected to remain at the very least until 2030, according to the Corridor Information Document recently published by the body managing the corridor. The […]
Tender for integrating standard gauge at port of Valencia is out
The Valencia Port Authority has put out a tender for the expansion of the port’s rail infrastructure. The project entails the replacement of the current single-track connecting the Poniente and Levante docks with a three-track mixed-gauge railway. Once the project is completed the Levante Railway Terminal will be able to handle 750-metre freight trains on […]
Another strike to start tomorrow in Germany, this time for a whole week
Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) employees affiliated with the German Train Drivers’ trade union (GDL) are about to go on strike until Monday, 29 January at 6 pm. DB Cargo’s workers will start on Tuesday 23 January at 6 pm, while for infrastructure workers the initiative will begin on Wednesday 24 January at 2 am, as GDL […]
2024 brings new Italy-Benelux rail freight connections
Freight convoys running between Italy and the Benelux region are increasing with the beginning of 2024. GTS Rail has increased its Bologna-Zeebrugge frequency from four to six weekly trains. Moreover, starting in February, Contship will upgrade from three to five weekly convoys between Milan and Rotterdam. Contship will implement this frequency increase as of 5 […]