Russia is planning to invest record-breaking amounts in its Far East railway infrastructure. Unprecedented investments in the East in the coming years might be interpreted as a break with the past and a move away from the West. However, it is unlikely that these investments signal a significant change in policy. The new investments will […]
Category: Policy
‘Train drivers, sound your horns’, says German rail freight association
Tomorrow, Wednesday 17 January, will be a loud lunch in Berlin. At least 13 freight train drivers will sound their horns in protest to the cuts expected from the 2024 German federal budget. The proposal came from the rail freight association Die Güterbahnen. The symphony will last five minutes, starting at 11:55 am until midday. […]
Swiss single wagonload plan ‘won’t jeopardise rail infrastructure funds’
The Swiss Federal Council recently announced that it will transfer some money destined for the Railway Infrastructure Fund (RIF) to boost single wagonload (SWL) traffic in the country. The funds are coming from the so-called heavy vehicle fee (HVF). Contacted by RailFreight.com, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) highlighted that “there are no signs that […]
EU sets frail foundations for intermodal transport’s future
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 […]
The 2024 German federal budget could cut 252 million from rail freight
The German rail association Allianz pro-Schiene expressed its worries about the significant cuts expected in the rail freight sector from the 2024 federal budget. “All in all it is about 252 million euros less for rail freight in 2024, if plans won’t change”, a spokesperson from the association told RailFreight.com. The cuts will concern support […]
The Swiss Federal Council wants to pour millions into single wagonload
The Swiss Federal Council wants to make funds available to improve the country’s rail freight sector and keep single wagonload transport financially viable. If approved by the Swiss Parliament, the initiative will see hundreds of millions of euros deployed. The money would come from a portion of the tax on Heavy Good Vehicles, “which would […]
Russian grain imports and transit should be banned, says Latvian minister
Latvian Minister of Transport Kaspars Briškens wants to ban all imports and transit of Russian grain due to the possibility that imports include grain stolen from Ukraine. A total ban could have significant economic consequences for the Latvian rail sector, with losses of up to 40 million euros. In an interview with public broadcaster Latvijas […]