Russian rail maintenance companies are struggling to acquire enough spare parts to service locomotives. They also face a shortage of highly educated staff. As a result, Russian Railways (RZD) has had to suspend or delay almost 50,000 trains throughout 2023. In comparison to 2022, the amount of delayed or suspended trains due to a lack…
Category: Rail freight
UK Government grants are vital support for rail freight development
Governments in London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh should strengthen financial backing for rail amid ambitious growth targets and economic challenges. In response to the UK Department of Transport’s (DfT) ongoing review of mode shift grants, Rail Partners, an industry-wide advocacy group, has underscored the crucial role of government support in driving the growth of rail freight…
UK Government grants are vital support for rail freight development
Governments in London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh should strengthen financial backing for rail amid ambitious growth targets and economic challenges. In response to the UK Department of Transport’s (DfT) ongoing review of mode shift grants, Rail Partners, an industry-wide advocacy group, has underscored the crucial role of government support in driving the growth of rail freight…
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 […]
UPM partners with DB Cargo on sustainable supply chains
UPM Biochemicals has partnered with DB Cargo to make the wood deliveries to its biorefinery in Leuna, Germany, by rail, enabling sustainable supply chains. With the first deliveries complete, the pair has set up and tested a direct rail link to the Leuna operations’ wood yard. UPM has partnered with DB Cargo to transport wood […]
England: Hope Valley Project in final push
Work has started on the final engineering project to upgrade the Hope Valley line in the north of England. The line, which crosses the Pennines (north-south ridge chain), and connects Sheffield with Manchester, will be closed all of this week. The work also affects alternative routes, and a section of the Midland Main Line between […]
Nurminen Logistics opens rail link connecting Finland with port of Gothenburg
Finnish logistics company Nurminen Logistics will open a new rail route connecting northern Finland to the port of Gothenburg. The service will commence in April. According to the company, the new route helps Finland’s international accessibility at a time when routes through Russia are unavailable. The new rail route will run from Haparanda, a town […]
Only one month until the RailFreight Summit in Poland
The Rail Freight Summit Poland ‘24, which will take place in Warsaw between 15 and 17 April 2024 is only one month away. The event will be a great opportunity to discuss the current situation concerning rail freight in Poland and, more broadly, in Central and Eastern Europe. This year’s edition of the RailFreight Summit […]
Uzbekistan wants a joint venture with China and Kyrgyzstan for CKU line
Uzbekistan has proposed a joint venture with China and Kyrgyzstan for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) line. The joint venture, which can also count on the support of China and Kyrgyzstan, would also become the manager of the line. Work on the line is supposed to start this year. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan line is one […]
Boxes and biomass shore up latest UK freight figures
The latest quarterly freight figures have some pleasing headlines. However, beyond the standfirst of growth in domestic intermodal and an upturn in biomass movements, there’s a less rosy picture in the big ticket items of maritime movements and construction materials. The two dominant sectors moved in opposite directions, amounting to an overall fall in freight […]