Category: Rail freight

DB Cargo Scandinavia completes freight pilot to Danish port of Hirtshals

DB Cargo Scandinavia completed a freight train test to the northern Danish Port of Hirtshals on 2 May. The rail operator ran the test to demonstrate the feasibility of an intermodal freight route between continental Europe and Norway. As part of the “Green Jutland Corridor”, a green logistics project that aims to connect Norway, Sweden…

DB begins 1.6 billion euro expansion of Hanau-Gelnhausen line

In a bid to fortify the rail system in Hesse, Deutsche Bahn (DB) has embarked on a 1.6 billion euro project to expand the 23-kilometre-long Hanau–Gelnhausen line to four tracks. The initiative, aimed at enhancing both passenger and freight transportation, received its official commencement during an on-site gathering in Gelnhausen on Monday. The expansion, a…

The Middle Corridor remains too expensive as an alternative China-Europe route

The Middle Corridor, a multimodal China-Europe freight route through Central Asia, has garnered international interest as a potential alternative to transporting freight through Russia. Illustratively, the EU has allocated 10 billion euros for its development. The corridor remains too expensive to become a route of preference, explains Roland Verbraak, general manager of BTTMultimodalGroup. BTT, a…

Twenty years of EU membership: What has it brought Polish rail freight?

Poland, alongside nine other countries, has been a member of the European Union for 20 years. EU membership brought with it many investments, which also benefited Polish rail infrastructure. The 166 billion Polish złoty (27 billion euros) in investments have transformed Polish railways, says national rail operator PKP. PKP reviewed the contribution of “huge funds”…

Green light for near-billion rail and road investment in Barcelona port

Spain will invest 816 million euros in rail and road connections for the Port of Barcelona. The Spanish government, infrastructure manager Adif and the Barcelona port have come to an agreement that will allow the port to be connected to the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor. The near-billion euro investment will enable the expansion and upgrading of…

ERFA: “EU’s Greening Freight Package lacks a coherent strategy”

The EU’s Greening Freight Package is the bloc’s flagship policy package for decarbonisation in the transport sector. It looks to decrease emissions in European transport by 90 per cent in 2050. However, the package is not all sunshine and rainbows. Many disagreements about its content remain and the future of the package depends on the…

‘Spain is light years away from reaching EU rail freight goals’

The market share of rail freight in Spain is currently at around 4 per cent. By 2030, the number should more than double and reach 10 per cent, as dictated by the European Union. However, these goals are still “light years away”, as the Spanish Ministry of Transport Oscar Puente claimed. The main issue seems…

New TEN-T: TENtec guidelines are out, timetable is still missing

One of the aims of the new TEN-T Regulation is to harmonise communication between EU Member States and European institutions. To do this, the TENtec system is being developed. When fully functional, the system is expected to speed up the exchange of information and accelerate the compiling of reports and maps of the corridors. However,…

Russia to invest 156 billion rubles for Belarusian rail access to Baltic Sea

Russian Railways (RZD) intends to invest 156 billion rubles (1,5 billion euros) to enable Belarusian exports via the Baltic Sea. EU countries blocked the transit of Belarusian goods through its territories, and now Russia is coming to the aid of its steadfast ally. Additionally, Belarus will gain rail access to a brand new port in…