Policy - VibeWire Magazine

740-metre trains have shown themselves to be surprisingly divisive

Guest authors
March 20, 2026
0

Some time ago, RailFreight.com published an opinion piece taking a rarely heard perspective. It argued against the urgency of 740-metre trains in Europe. RailFreight.com and…

New EU state aid guidelines increase coverage to 90%

Marco Raimondi
March 19, 2026
0

The European Commission (EC) recently adopted the new Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines, which will replace the 2008 Railway Guidelines on state aid rules to…

ECJ opens door to several hundred million euro TAC refunds in Germany

Guest authors
March 19, 2026
0

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against the German cap on track access charges (TAC) for local passenger traffic. Since 2016, rail freight…

What changes with the updated General Contract for the Use of Wagons?

Marco Raimondi
March 9, 2026
0

The General Contract for the Use of Wagons (CGU) was updated at the beginning of 2026, making some procedures more efficient and less time consuming.…

Lords Committee raises questions over regulation to lower age of train drivers

Guest authors
February 27, 2026
0

In its 52nd report of Session 24-26, the cross-party House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has raised concerns about the practical implementation of the Draft Train Driving Licences and Certificates (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (the draft Regulations). The draft Regulations are intended to address the shortage of train drivers by lowering the age that people […]

Rail Freight Group responds on planning reform consultations

Simon Walton
February 25, 2026
0

British planning legislation has always been seen as a significant barrier to development. Now, the UK industry representative body, Rail Freight Group (RFG), has broadly…

20 associations make (another) pledge against gigaliners regulation

Marco Raimondi
February 24, 2026
0

The Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) needs to be fixed before European Modular Systems, also known as gigaliners, are deployed all over the Old Continent…

20 associations make (another) pledge against gigaliners regulation

Marco Raimondi
February 24, 2026
0

The Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) needs to be fixed before European Modular Systems, also known as gigaliners, are deployed all over the Old Continent…

Wagon owners protest as Switzerland breaks with JNS safety rules

Guest authors
February 17, 2026
0

Despite approving a joint European wagon safety rules decision, the Swiss Federal Office for Transport (FOT) keeps going its own regulatory way. Switzerland informed its…

Using AI to slash 5G emissions and hit ESG goals

Guest authors
February 17, 2026
0

Implementing AI solutions in 5G networks can drastically slash energy emissions and accelerate progress toward critical ESG goals. 5G energy efficiency is often viewed as a line item for network operators, but new data suggests it is a macroeconomic le…