The European Parliament (EP) is voting today on the trialogue agreement on the revision of the TEN-T Regulation. Expectations are that the EP will approve the text. After that, the policy will be translated into the 24 EU official languages, published in the Official Journal of the European Union and come into force. The initial…
Category: Policy
Dutch advisory body appeals to coalition negotiators: “Create level playing field”
The Dutch rail freight committee has presented a letter of appeal to government negotiators. In the letter, the committee requests the next government to take concrete steps for the betterment of Dutch rail freight. A level playing field, environmental challenges and decarbonisation feature as major points of attention in the appeal. The Dutch rail freight…
Deutsche Bahn does not rule out DB Cargo sale
Deutsche Bahn (DB) does not rule out the sale of its freight subsidiary DB Cargo. Looming EU sanctions over excessive state support are forcing DB to find an escape route. A partial sale of financially underperforming DB Cargo might be on the table. According to Handelsblatt, DB does not rule out a sale of its…
Italy awards contracts worth 477 million euros for Rome-Pescara line upgrade
Italian rail infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) has awarded two contracts, which are worth 477 million euros, for upgrades along the Rome-Pescara line. According to RFI, the upgrades will have numerous benefits, among which is the potential growth of freight traffic. The two contracts concern upgrades between the intermodal hub Interporto D’Abruzzo and Manoppello,…
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…
All change for rail in Dublin due to post-Brexit freight boom
Passengers from the southeast Irish port of Rosslare could be forced to change trains on the way to Dublin. Growing traffic from the port and enhancements to the metro service around the Irish capital could leave through services struggling for train paths. A solution has been proposed by the Irish Government, which would require long-distance…
Austria starts 250,000 euro support scheme for single wagon transport in Tyrol
Austria has started a 250,000 support scheme for single wagon transport in Tyrol, bordering Italy. The programme has been in effect since 1 April. It is not supposed to be a one-time love affair with rail as it aims at a long-term modal shift breakup with the road. The scheme aims at “greater efficiency, a…
Spain introduces new scheme to keep an eye on track access charges
Despite being one of the countries with the lower track access charges for rail freight in Europe, Spain is implementing a new scheme to supervise the fees adopted by the country’s infrastructure manager Adif. The new plan was recently approved by the Spanish National Market and Competition Commission (CNMC). If for rail freight the track…
Czechia warns: Russia is trying to sabotage European rail
The Czech transport minister has warned that Russia is trying to sabotage European rail. The minister said that Russia has made thousands of attempts to destabilise the EU and undermine critical infrastructure since the start of its war in Ukraine. It is not the first time a European official warned of Russian sabotage. Czech transport…