Lack of Baltic commercial operators hinders intermodality, says Samskip

A lack of commercial operators hinders the development of intermodal routes in the Baltics, according to Dutch logistics company Samskip. The company would like to create an extended rail link to rail for its new shortsea service to Klaipeda, but the absence of commercially operated intermodal routes proves to be a major hindrance. However, the…

D’Agostino SRL: ‘Investing in intermodality pays off’

The European rail freight sector is facing challenging times, with many companies struggling to remain viable. Despite this, some companies are thriving, like D’Agostino SRL, an Italian transport company that has seen significant growth in its rail modal share, thanks to its focus on intermodality. “Currently, over 70 percent of our sales come from intermodal…

How has the German chemical industry dealt with rail strikes?

With Germany caught up in frequent rail strikes, the sector has been facing difficulties with the transportation of goods. The branch organisation of the German chemical industry (VCI) sounded the alarm bells ahead of last week’s 24-hour strike. VCI warned that the industry cannot cope with more strikes. RailFreight.com reached out to VCI and chemical […]

SBB’s black results cannot hide single wagonload financial bleed-out

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, […]

Strike in Finland halts rail freight services and exports

A number of Finnish trade unions started a political strike Monday 11 March which will continue until 25 March. The initiative has a significant impact on the Finnish transport industry, including rail freight. According to the Confederation of Finnish Business (EK), the strike will cost Finland 320 million euros in damage to the gross domestic […]

Strike in Finland halts rail freight services and exports

A number of Finnish trade unions started a political strike Monday 11 March which will continue until 25 March. The initiative has a significant impact on the Finnish transport industry, including rail freight. According to the Confederation of Finnish Business (EK), the strike will cost Finland 320 million euros in damage to the gross domestic […]

LTG Cargo launches first cross-Baltic service

Lithuanian state-owned rail freight operator, LTG Cargo, recently started transporting petroleum products between Bugeniai, in Luthiania, and Valga, in Estonia. The initiative is another reflection of how operators in the Baltic are looking to diversify their operations due to loss of cargo to and from Russia and Belarus. The launch of operations was preceded by […]

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 […]

Rail Cargo Group establishes two new Italian connections

Rail Cargo Group (RCG), the rail subsidiary for Austrian national rail operator ÖBB, has announced that it is launching two new rail connections between Italy and Germany. Alongside the two new connections, it is increasing the frequency of services on the Verona-Wuppertal line. RCG is launching two new rail lines between Italy and Germany. According […]

Container rates surged amid Red Sea blockade

The blockade of the Red Sea has caused serious headaches for the freight forwarding companies. Container rates are going through the roof, and many companies chose to switch transport modalities or divert their routes and circumnavigate Africa rather than risking passing through the Suez Canal. Rogier Vervoort, owner and managing director of Dutch Container Merchants […]