LX Pantos opens rail terminal in Hungary for car battery logistics

South Korean logistics company LX Pantos has opened a new rail terminal in Tata, Hungary. It will lease the terminal from Austrian Rail Cargo Group (RCG) for a duration of 10 years. LX Pantos seeks to dive into car battery logistics, for which there is growing demand in Hungary. The opening ceremony for the terminal…

Belarus raises rail freight fees by 8% amid higher China-Europe traffic

The Belarusian government has decided to raise rail freight fees by an average of eight per cent. The country, an important transit country for the increasing amount of goods coming into Europe from China, may seek to benefit from the growing freight volumes transiting its network. As per a decision of Belarus’ Ministry of Antimonopoly…

HHLA acquires majority stakes at Roland Spedition to boost intermodal business

A new majority stake acquisition of Roland Spedition GmbH, a full-service rail and road transport operator, allows HHLA to boost hinterland links to and from Austria. The Hamburg-based company took over 51 per cent of the Austria-based intermodal service provider and now eyes optimising combined transport operations within its network. Shareholders and managing directors of…

“Rail should copy road’s funding mechanisms in Poland to grow”

The Polish economy is rebounding faster than most of the rest of the EU, infrastructure projects are seemingly in place, and rail volumes have been relatively stable during the past couple of years. Despite that, the overall picture for Polish rail freight is not positive. “We haven’t been achieving any substantial progress in the market…

Kazakh Railways once again requests higher track access charges: 20,3% increase

Kazakh Railways (KTZ) has once again requested approval for an increase of track access charges. The request for a 20,3 per cent increase comes after the loss-making rail company saw an earlier price hike cancelled by the government. According to the Association of Kazakh rail freight carriers, KTZ is insisting on a 20,3 per cent…

PKP Cargo launches Rotterdam connection from new intermodal terminal

Polish rail freight operator PKP Cargo is launching a new international connection to Rotterdam. Trains will depart twice a week from a newly built intermodal terminal in Karsznice, central Poland. The company says that the new route is part of a larger strategy for intermodal transport in the region. The Polish rail operator will be…

‘Going back to pre-war levels might hinder quality of services’

One of the main points raised at the RailFreight Summit ‘24 is that going back to pre-war rail freight volumes between China and Europe across Russia might not be in the general interests of the industry. DB Cargo Eurasia managing director Tabea Klang highlighted that going back to those levels might hinder the current quality…

DB Cargo France: ‘traffic decline balanced out by SNCF’s routes pickup’

In an interview with Railfreight.com, Alexandre Gallo, President and CEO of DB Cargo France and President of the Association Française du Rail (AFRA), comments on market trends and the outlook for the remainder of the year and beyond while responding to shippers’ current perception of the industry. How did rail freight markets play out in…

LTG Cargo and Skinest Baltija to start legal battle over cancelled contract

LTG Cargo and Skinest Baltija will head into a legal battle over the cancellation of a supply contract between the two parties. Earlier, LTG Cargo claimed that Skinest Baltija had breached the contract on various occasions. The company then added Skinest Baltija to a list of ‘unreliable suppliers’. Skinest Baltija disputes LTG Cargo’s claims and…

Finnish cargo critical to making Rail Baltica relevant for logistics

Rail Baltica is probably one of Europe’s most anticipated railway projects, and rail freight is set to benefit significantly from its development. However, no matter its potential, the project could also end up becoming irrelevant for logistics. According to Oli Pohjanvirta, CEO of Nurminen Logistics, attracting Finnish volumes will be key in determining the project’s…