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, […]
Author: Nikos Papatolios
Maersk still in the race for DB Schenker’s acquisition, says CEO
After DHL withdrew from the race of DB Schenker’s acquisition last week, Danish shipping company DSV appeared to be the sole remaining candidate to proceed with the purchase. However, another player claims it’s still here and ready to ‘disrupt’ the process. According to Maersk’s CEO Vincent Clerc, his company is still examining buying the German […]
EU Parliament’s plenary says yes to ‘monstertrucks’ after all
With a marginal majority (300 votes against 295), the European Parliament has approved the legislative proposals of the Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) part of the Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP). In practice, this means that the Parliament approved, among other things, the circulation of gigaliner trucks and the use of heavier trucks diesel-powered trucks […]
A year after the Greek tragedy: Mystery covers freight train’s load
It has been something more than a year since the late night of 28 February 2023, when Greece experienced the deadliest railway accident of its modern history. A tragedy that occurred under unprecedented conditions and a death toll of 57 were more than enough to uncover the chronic weaknesses and neglect of the Greek railway […]
Spain and Ukraine launch cooperation on variable gauge technology
What started as a contemplation over half a year ago is now becoming a reality. Spanish Infrastructure Manager Adif and Ukrainian Railways (UZ) will start cooperating to develop and implement a variable gauge wheel technology, allowing Ukrainian trains to migrate between 1,453mm and 1,520mm gauge tracks fast and effortlessly. “This is another step in UZ’s […]
Spain and Ukraine launch cooperation on variable gauge technology
What started as a contemplation over half a year ago is now becoming a reality. Spanish Infrastructure Manager Adif and Ukrainian Railways (UZ) will start cooperating to develop and implement a variable gauge wheel technology, allowing Ukrainian trains to migrate between 1,453mm and 1,520mm gauge tracks fast and effortlessly. “This is another step in UZ’s […]
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway opens in April after major refurbishment
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line (BTK), spanning the territories of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, has been undergoing a major ‘facelift’ since last year. The goal is for the line to regain its past prestige and become a key route extending the Middle Corridor’s rail leg through Turkey to Europe. “We will commence cargo operations soon,” commented […]
German rail development indicates shifts in North Sea ports’ modal split
Container shipments via rail freight in Germany have showcased incredible growth between 2005 and 2022. Their transport volumes grew by an impressive 85.9 per cent in these 19 years, going from under 4.2 million TEUs in 2005 to roughly 7.7 million TEUs in 2022. Increased traffic to and from North Sea ports has contributed the […]
‘EU’s combined transport definition should be more practical,’ says UIRR
In view of the Combined Transport Directive (CTD) amendment, the EU Commission proposed an alternative definition of combined transport services. In the legislators’ view, combined transport operations should include intermodal freight operations that carry out at least 40 per cent of transport without using trucks. For UIRR and the intermodal sector, the definition could be […]
PJSC TransContainer in U.S. sanctions list: “Business continues as usual,” says company
Russian intermodal container operator PJSC TransContainer is included in the latest sanction package published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Russia-based company will no longer be able to conduct business with U.S. entities. PJSC TransContainer’s official statement on the matter underlines that “the company’s operating activities continue as usual,” while its subsidiaries based […]