The European Commission’s proposal to amend the Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) concerning commercial road vehicles presents some problematic points. The railway sector is concerned that the proposal will result in a reverse modal shift from road to rail while also making road and rail transport incompatible in many cases, thus substantially harming intermodal and […]
Author: Nikos Papatolios
Red Sea situation ‘a pleasant headache’ for the rail industry
Eurasian rail is currently experiencing a boom, with shippers affected by the situation in the Red Sea and Suez Canal shifting their cargo to trains. “Increased sea freight transit times and the dangers of the war zone cause concerns to shippers who are looking to rail as a viable alternative,” says Igor Tambaca, managing director […]
German court deems train drivers’ strike legal, DB to appeal decision
The Frankfurt am Main Labour Court has rejected Deutsche Bahn’s request for an interim injunction to prevent GDL’s strike planned between 9 and 12 January. The court decided the union has the right to strike despite DB’s claims. Now, DB is appealing this decision before the Hessian State Labour Court. The German state-owned railway company […]
Kombiverkehr increases connections to Greece and Turkey via Trieste
The beginning of 2024 brings more frequent connections between Germany, Greece and Turkey via the Italian port of Trieste. Kombiverkehr increases its rail services between the DUSS terminal in Munich-Riem and Trieste to five weekly roundtrips. From Trieste, goods can find their way to the Greek port of Patras and the Turkish ports of Pendik, […]
Germany braces for an extended round of rail strikes
The German train driver’s union GDL is launching a several-day strike this week. Freight services will be affected starting Tuesday, 9 January, at 18:00. The industrial action is expected to last until the evening of Friday, 12 January, with a substantial impact on cargo transport operations. The development follows a voting procedure in December where […]