The Italian infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) launched a tender for 117 million euros, co-financed by Switzerland, to boost intermodality in northeastern Italy. More specifically, the railway between Arona and Verbania, along the southeastern shore of Lake Maggiore, will be modified to handle freight trains with a 4-metre profile (P400). The initiative entails lowering […]
Author: Marco Raimondi
GDL strike confirmed as valid, what will it mean for rail freight?
The transport sector in Germany is currently facing disruptions as locomotive drivers affiliated with the GDL union are on strike between 9-12 January. Deutsche Bahn (DB) has appealed against this decision without any luck, as the Hessian State Labour Court confirmed that the union’s actions are not prohibited. RailFreight.com reached out to various companies in […]
The rail freight industry in Portugal is unsatisfied, says study
The rail freight sector in Portugal is somewhat of a unicum in the European Union. Just like in Spain, the railway network is equipped with the Iberian gauge (1,668mm). Moreover, there is no state-owned rail freight operator in the country, unlike most of the other EU Member States. The Portuguese Mobility and Transport Authority (AMT), […]
The Italian government wants to privatise FS Group
The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently opened to the privatisation of the national railway holding Ferrovie dello Stato (FS Group). The initiative was brought forward because the government needs to find funds to finance the budget law for 2024. Currently, FS Group and all its subsidiaries are fully owned by the Italian government through […]
Rail freight service levels markedly increased, says SNCF Réseau
French infrastructure manager (IM) SNCF Réseau claims there has been a marked improvement in customer service levels in recent years. The volume of freight train paths on offer increased by 72 per cent since 2020. Moreover, the company is now able to respond to 89 per cent of its customers’ requests with an improved allocation […]
DB takes German Locomotive Drivers union to court over strike dispute
The labour dispute between Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Union of German Locomotive Drivers (GDL) is going to court. The company claims that the union is unable to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and thus, is “no longer allowed to strike”. The case is now in the hands of the Hessian State Labour Court. […]
‘Chinese investments in EU infrastructure need to be better understood’
The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) commissioned a study on Chinese investments in non-maritime infrastructure in Europe and the possible risks they might entail. The biggest risks identified concern Chinese influence on EU countries which, according to the study, needs to be better understood. The main conclusion that can be drawn from it […]