The Austrian Logistics Network Association (VNL) has awarded the Austrian Logistics Prize 2024 to ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) and Transporeon for their innovative logistics project. This annual prize highlights groundbreaking achievements in the logistics sector, and this year, RCG and Transporeon stood out by successfully integrating multimodal transport into a single platform. For the…
Author: Nikos Papatolios
Czechia: 4 passengers dead in collision involving freight train
A fatal collision between a passenger and a freight train in Czechia resulted in four passengers losing their lives and dozens being injured. The head-on collision occurred between a RegioJet and a CD Cargo train on the east of Prague, near Parduvice. The line where the accident occurred was not equipped with ETCS, which could…
Kombiverkehr adds Niš MBOX Terminal to its intermodal network
A win-win solution between Kombiverkehr and MBOX Terminal will see the two partners extending their service network. The two companies have commenced a new collaboration that will see freight trains linking Wels in Austria and Niš in Serbia. The partnership is in effect already and starts by offering three weekly roundtrips between the two locations.…
Who (and why) gains from Germany’s €1.7 billion single wagonload fund?
With single wagonload transport being one of the most fragile and volatile services offered by the rail freight industry, the 1.7 billion euros that Germany will pour into it sounded like music to the ears of logisticians. Nevertheless, soon, joy was overtaken by doubt, considering reports claiming that DB Cargo would be the primary beneficiary…
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is officially open again after year-long closure
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was subject to significant upgrades targeting its capacity for roughly a year. With most work concluded in early March, the railway was expected to restart operations in late May 2024. The expectations turned into reality, and as a result, the BTK line saw its first freight train running after a long time.…
Swiss and German ministries spearhead CargoBeamer’s terminal expansion
The Swiss Federal Office for Transport (FOT) and the German Federal Railway Authority (EBA) are set to spearhead the expansion of CargoBeamer’s terminals in Domodossola (Italy) and Kaldenkirchen (Germany), respectively, with their investments. The two public entities will raise 90 million euros in total for the two projects. At the same time, the Germany-based intermodal…
‘Businesses should brace ahead of new Import Control System’
The EU’s new Import Control System (ICS2), designed to streamline and strengthen customs control procedures for the European single market, is rapidly approaching. For rail freight transport, the system will be enforced by 2025. Road operators, however, will need to adapt as early as June 2024. Despite its noble intentions, ICS2 is anticipated to introduce…
Do EU citizens know what’s at stake with the EU’s transport policies?
The rail industry has vehemently opposed the Commission’s Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD), which would allow gigaliners or mega trucks to dominate the European transport sector price-wise and capacity-wise. Apart from the industry, however, such policies also concern the public, considering they could heavily impact life quality in many ways. Is the European public aware…
Short-term TAC hikes put transport contracts under strain
In a bid to combat the crippling impact of skyrocketing track access charges, European rail operators are calling for urgent short-term support measures. The clarion call comes amidst a flurry of criticism following Germany’s recent hefty price hike program, among others. Apart from Germany, which will increase TACs by 16 per cent, Sweden and Portugal…
Short-term TAC hikes put transport contracts under strain
In a bid to combat the crippling impact of skyrocketing track access charges, European rail operators are calling for urgent short-term support measures. The clarion call comes amidst a flurry of criticism following Germany’s recent hefty price hike program, among others. Apart from Germany, which will increase TACs by 16 per cent, Sweden and Portugal…