Intermodal and rail transport in the Port of Hamburg has seen better years than in 2023. The German port’s financial and volume performance declined noticeably last year, and rail did not get away with it. Intermodal container transport recorded a 5.4 per cent volume decrease compared to 2022, while rail container transport declined by 3.1…
Category: Business
MSC plans to build 1,000 wagons in former Wärtsilä plant in Trieste
Shipping giant MSC is working on taking over the industrial area near the port of Trieste formerly occupied by Wärtsilä, a Finnish maritime equipment manufacturer. MSC is planning on reconverting the factory into a rail rolling stock production facility, intending to churn out 1,000 wagons per year. MSC recently held a meeting with various Italian…
Kazakh exporters worried as KTZ plans another fee hike
Kazakh Railways (KTZ) wants to raise its fees for rail freight. The rail operator and infrastructure manager points to its outstanding debt as the culprit for a potential price hike. KTZ earlier received criticism for frequently raising its fees. Kazakh exporters are worried about their competitiveness. KTZ applied to the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy…
DB Cargo to be divided into six units?
The German state-owned rail freight operator is facing an uncertain future due to significant losses and proceedings from the European Commission (EC). In an attempt to become profitable, DB Cargo might be divided into six divisions dedicated to different types of transport. The initiative was shared by German media RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), which cites a…
Lack of Baltic commercial operators hinders intermodality, says Samskip
A lack of commercial operators hinders the development of intermodal routes in the Baltics, according to Dutch logistics company Samskip. The company would like to create an extended rail link to rail for its new shortsea service to Klaipeda, but the absence of commercially operated intermodal routes proves to be a major hindrance. However, the…
D’Agostino SRL: ‘Investing in intermodality pays off’
The European rail freight sector is facing challenging times, with many companies struggling to remain viable. Despite this, some companies are thriving, like D’Agostino SRL, an Italian transport company that has seen significant growth in its rail modal share, thanks to its focus on intermodality. “Currently, over 70 percent of our sales come from intermodal…
How has the German chemical industry dealt with rail strikes?
With Germany caught up in frequent rail strikes, the sector has been facing difficulties with the transportation of goods. The branch organisation of the German chemical industry (VCI) sounded the alarm bells ahead of last week’s 24-hour strike. VCI warned that the industry cannot cope with more strikes. RailFreight.com reached out to VCI and chemical […]
SBB’s black results cannot hide single wagonload financial bleed-out
The Swiss SBB Group brought its finances back to the black in 2023 for the first time since 2019. Strong passenger transport performance led the Group’s recovery. Cargo performance was still in the red for 2023, despite the closing gap of losses (-40 million francs against -191 million francs in 2022). At the same time, […]
Strike in Finland halts rail freight services and exports
A number of Finnish trade unions started a political strike Monday 11 March which will continue until 25 March. The initiative has a significant impact on the Finnish transport industry, including rail freight. According to the Confederation of Finnish Business (EK), the strike will cost Finland 320 million euros in damage to the gross domestic […]
Strike in Finland halts rail freight services and exports
A number of Finnish trade unions started a political strike Monday 11 March which will continue until 25 March. The initiative has a significant impact on the Finnish transport industry, including rail freight. According to the Confederation of Finnish Business (EK), the strike will cost Finland 320 million euros in damage to the gross domestic […]