The so-called train des primeurs operated by Fret SNCF, which carries fresh fruit and vegetables from Perpignan, in southwest France, to Paris, is to be withdrawn. However, the service could return in 2026 under a new form after the construction of a combined transport terminal at the French capital’s Rungis wholesale market. The seasonal service…
Category: Business
Ukrainian Railways receives half a billion euros in international support
Ukrainian Railways (UZ) is receiving approximately 500 million euros in international financial support. The money comes from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the form of a loan, as well as from the World Bank and Switzerland as a grant. The money is to be spent on electric locomotives and infrastructure. UZ,…
PKP Cargo concedes to unions as it looks to “Make Cargo Great Again”
PKP Cargo is amending the rules of the emergency ‘failure to perform work’ measure. Trade unions managed to secure a number of concessions from the company to employees, among which is a minimum wage payout at the very least. The PKP Cargo president is calling upon the remaining unions to enter into dialogue, to improve…
Rail freight misses out on German rail expansion act funding
Rail freight will not be included in the German Federal Railway Infrastructure Expansion Act (BSWAG). As a result, German rail freight will miss out on ETCS funding and compensation for the upcoming lengthy route closures. Rail freight is not being included in the BSWAG, and the German rail freight sector will therefore likely not be…
PKP Cargo and COSCO to expand intermodal flows all over Europe
Intermodal transport and logistics will be the core development pillar of a strengthened partnership between PKP Cargo and COSCO Shipping Group. The two parties are poised to expand their intermodal offerings in multiple countries “in Western, Central and Eastern Europe”. PKP Cargo appears to become a core partner in COSCO’s increased rail freight presence in…
Freight to contribute little to billions of Rail Baltica-induced growth
Rail Baltica is an economically viable undertaking. While its projected cost has grown immensely in recent years, the high-speed rail line is expected to contribute up to 23,5 billion euros to the Baltic economies. Freight, however, is not likely to contribute much. An independent cost-benefit analysis (CBA) found that Rail Baltica will likely add between…
Amid looming threat of Polish border blockades, UZ asks: Why not rail?
The threat of Polish-Ukrainian border blockades is systemic. As road blockades can resume at any time, Ukrainian Railways (UZ) is now asking: Why not ship goods via rail? UZ is proposing that more Ukrainian export freight be transported via rail. The operator says that it received warnings that the frequent border blockades are systemic, and…
RCG’s innovative logistics solution scoops Austrian Logistics Prize 2024
The Austrian Logistics Network Association (VNL) has awarded the Austrian Logistics Prize 2024 to ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) and Transporeon for their innovative logistics project. This annual prize highlights groundbreaking achievements in the logistics sector, and this year, RCG and Transporeon stood out by successfully integrating multimodal transport into a single platform. For the…
Poor reliability of Russian rail network pushes shippers onto trucks
Much like the rail and road modalities are clashing in Europe, with the ensuing discussions about rail’s competitiveness, Russia is having similar issues. A recent conference on the topic prompted a sector appeal to the government. The Russian rail freight sector protests the order of priority on the Russian network, on which freight takes last…
Estonian Operail to be auctioned off and privatised
Operail, the Estonian state-owned rail freight operator, is for sale. On 6 June, the government approved the imminent privatisation of the company. It has struggled to maintain profitability following sanctions against Russia and Belarus. Operail is now being auctioned off completely. The Estonian climate ministry had made a proposal to that end, which the government…