One of the main points raised at the RailFreight Summit ‘24 is that going back to pre-war rail freight volumes between China and Europe across Russia might not be in the general interests of the industry. DB Cargo Eurasia managing director Tabea Klang highlighted that going back to those levels might hinder the current quality…
Author: Marco Raimondi
‘Moldova might separate IM and RU tasks by year’s end’
Ukraine and Moldova need to separate the roles of infrastructure manager (IM) and railway undertaking (RU) to be integrated into European railways. It seems that Moldova might achieve this by the end of 2024, as Harry Karandeinos from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) mentioned during the RailFreight Summit ‘24. Karandeinos, Principal Sustainable…
Subsidy for rail freight rolling stock in Italy will remain after all
Despite recent concerns, the Italian government will not cancel a measure aimed at helping companies purchasing rail rolling stock. A total of 115 million euros, thus, will still be deployed to cover 20 per cent of the costs retroactively to 2021. Fears of a cancellation of this measure surfaced in March, when the Italian Chamber…
SBB Cargo France has no plans to take over Fret SNCF routes
A new subsidiary of the Swiss Federal Railways, christened SBB Cargo France, was recently established to provide services along “the French route through Alsace as an alternative to the German Rhine Valley”. A spokesperson from the company specified that there are no current plans to take over services from Fret SNCF, which is undergoing a…
DAC: Digital Automatic Coupling or Digital Age Conundrum?
Currently, the common denominator concerning the implementation of the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) in Europe seems to be confusion. A third DAC consortium, renamed DACFIT, was just formed by Deutsche Bahn (DB), which also plays a key role in the other two. However, a clear timetable is not yet available despite the EU envisioning a…
Railway in Sweden closes to freight traffic, volumes shift to road
The rail freight sector in Sweden is currently facing significant challenges. The latest development is the interruption of freight traffic along the Mariestad-Värö railway, in the Swedish southwest. The line was served by Green Cargo trains carrying pulp that was then sent to Germany and Eastern Europe. However, these volumes have now fully shifted to…
EasyRailFreight: RFI launches new MarketPlace for intermodality
The Italian infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) launched EasyRailFreight, a new app that will bring logistics operators and their customers closer together. The former can use the app to offer their services, while the latter will be able to search for the most suitable offer through one single platform. This is the first time…
EasyRailFreight: RFI launches new MarketPlace for intermodality
The Italian infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) launched EasyRailFreight, a new app that will bring logistics operators and their customers closer together. The former can use the app to offer their services, while the latter will be able to search for the most suitable offer through one single platform. This is the first time…
Lack of capacity along Iron Ore Line puts hundreds of LKAB jobs at risk
LKAB, the largest iron ore producer in Europe, said that some of its facilities might close unless capacity along the Iron Ore Line, or Malmbanan, doesn’t improve significantly. “LKAB is reviewing closure in either Kiruna or Svappavaara based on what would mean the least damage to the company”, they said. Because of capacity issues, LKAB…
Spain rejects proposal to anticipate Ruta de la Plata’s reopening
The Spanish government rejected a proposal to advance the reopening of the Ruta de la Plata to 2040 instead of 2050. The railway, stretching along the Portuguese border up to the Atlantic Ocean, was an important rail freight corridor in the 20th century but a significant section has been closed since the mid-1990s. The proposal…