The European Committee of Regions (CoR) is entering the modal shift race with a clear message: European cities want to see the number of trucks circulating in their premises reduced. At the same time, they ask the EU to strengthen intermodal transport via rail and barge as the only way to meet decarbonisation goals and […]
Category: Policy
Lithuania and Poland seek regular rail freight route to Ukraine
Lithuania and Poland have expressed their wish for a regular rail freight route to Ukraine. The respective ministers of transport met in Warsaw on Monday to discuss the issue. Such a new route would help establish a reliable corridor for the export of Ukrainian grain through Baltic ports. According to Lithuanian minister of transport Marius […]
Sanctions cause locomotive shortage in Russia
Russian Railways (RZD) is facing a shortage of locomotives. The shortage is reportedly caused by a lack of importable spare parts due to Western sanctions. The situation has become particularly problematic in the fourth quarter of 2023. The locomotive shortage came to light in a statistics report by RZD, according to Russian publication Vedomosti. A […]
UK rail freight: will a socialist swing be a sunrise and a good thing?
There is a political turning of the tide expected in the UK. A general election is imminent. The right-wing Conservatives are expected to relinquish the reins of power to the left-wing Labour Party. That would allow the socialists to put their radically different ideas into action. A shake-up for rail freight could be dawning. After […]
Germany: long-term infrastructure projects also affected by budget cuts
The German Federal Government has officially approved the reduced transport budget for 2024. After some amendments in the sums to be cut and the sectors they will affect, the German parliament greenlit it. In addition to reduced financial support for the current year, the German rail sector will also be affected by cuts in long-term […]
Who stands to benefit from the Weights and Dimensions Directive?
The Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) is one of the pillars of the Greening Freight Package (GFP), a bundle of measures proposed by the European Union to make all modes of transport more sustainable. However, finding a solution that satisfies all the parties involved seems to remain a Herculean task, as none of the various […]
The latest Military Mobility funds are in: here are the rail highlights
The latest round of Military Mobility funds provided by the EU Commission as part of CEF has been approved. Railway projects are once again highlighted. Of the 807 million euros released by the Commission, approximately 485 million euros will target railway infrastructure projects. Eight out of thirty-eight projects will also directly impact freight. According to […]
Russia fears rail blockade and builds rail ferries for Kaliningrad
Fear of a rail blockade is leading Russia to build three additional rail ferries for its Kaliningrad exclave. The country’s westernmost region is surrounded by EU and NATO member states which control all railways into and out of the region. Russia is now looking to move its rail freight by sea in order to guarantee […]