The parliament of Kazakhstan wants to reform its national rail operator Kazakh Railways (KTZ). The parliament filed a request to remove infrastructure management from the company’s competencies and to increase procedural and strategic transparency. The request follows years of rail fee hikes that raise concern about the country’s competitiveness. As rail freight increasingly transits Kazakhstan […]
Category: Policy
Kazakhstan calls for Kazakh Railways reform after frequent rail fee hikes
The parliament of Kazakhstan wants to reform its national rail operator Kazakh Railways (KTZ). The parliament filed a request to remove infrastructure management from the company’s competencies and to increase procedural and strategic transparency. The request follows years of rail fee hikes that raise concern about the country’s competitiveness. As rail freight increasingly transits Kazakhstan […]
MEPs approve Weights and Dimensions Directive to rail’s dismay
The Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD), part of the Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP), has been approved by the EU Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee on Wednesday, 14 February. The Committee voted in favour of the legislative proposal by 26 votes to 11 and one abstention. Unfortunately, the green light came without considering remarks made […]
Polish farmers to block all Ukrainian freight transport
Polish farmers will organise new blockades of Ukrainian freight. This time around, they will block all border crossings between Poland and Ukraine, seaports and rail hubs. The intensified blockades are supposed to start on 20 February. Polish farmers are protesting the relaxation of import and transit restrictions on Ukrainian goods by the EU. The lifting […]
Polish farmers to block all Ukrainian freight transport
Polish farmers will organise new blockades of Ukrainian freight. This time around, they will block all border crossings between Poland and Ukraine, seaports and rail hubs. The intensified blockades are supposed to start on 20 February. Polish farmers are protesting the relaxation of import and transit restrictions on Ukrainian goods by the EU. The lifting […]
Out of sight, out of mind: the Netherlands falling behind on rail freight
The Netherlands desperately lack a vision for rail freight. That is the message of Hans-Willem Vroon, director of RailGood, a Dutch organisation promoting the interests of the rail freight sector. The Dutch government fails to deliver sound rail freight policy, has ignored a parliamentary proposal and sector appeals, and risks falling behind the rest of […]
Out of sight, out of mind: the Netherlands falling behind on rail freight
The Netherlands desperately lack a vision for rail freight. That is the message of Hans-Willem Vroon, director of RailGood, a Dutch organisation promoting the interests of the rail freight sector. The Dutch government fails to deliver sound rail freight policy, has ignored a parliamentary proposal and sector appeals, and risks falling behind the rest of […]
EU may break up DB Cargo due to losses
The European Union may break up DB Cargo due to the rail operator’s large losses, which have reached nearly 500 million euros. Company sources reported to Reuters that the EU may consider the figures and subsequent government support to be distorting the market. The Deutsche Bahn subsidiary incurred losses that were twice as high as […]
DB Cargo main beneficiary of Fret SNCF ‘discontinuity’
Labour unions at Fret SNCF have highlighted that the ‘discontinuity’ of the French state railways’ biggest rail freight subsidiary has played directly into the hands of its biggest rival – DB Cargo France. Under the terms of an agreement between France and the European Commission, in response to suspected illegal state aid to Fret SNCF, […]