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 […]
Category: Rail freight
Vestas break US record with longest blade transport by rail
Vestas marked a couple of milestones in the United States by moving the first high-capacity factor V163-4.5 MW wind turbine blades manufactured at the Windsor Blades factory in Colorado by rail. Making the transport even more impressive is the size of the blades measuring 80.5 metres. As Vestas claims, these were the longest wind turbine […]
Dutch rail freight volumes fell by 10% in 2023
Rail freight volumes in the Netherlands fell by ten per cent in 2023. In its annual rail freight report, Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail explains that it was mostly external factors that contributed to the drop. As a result, operators have cancelled various charters throughout the past year. Rail freight volumes amounted to 42,7 million tonnes […]
Poland to build its longest rail tunnel: 4 kilometres through the mountains
Polish national railway infrastructure manager PKP PLK has announced the construction of a new rail tunnel. The tunnel, Poland’s longest tunnel yet at approximately 3,8 kilometres, will significantly reduce travel times and boost connectivity in southern Poland. The construction of the tunnel is part of a larger infrastructure project between Kraków and Nowy Sacz in […]
A shorthaul intermodal connection in Scotland might soon be reality
A trial has been held of a sub-fifty mile (80km) intermodal haul in Central Scotland. The revival could connect an intermodal terminal in Paisley, to the west of Glasgow, with the rail freight terminal at the Port of Grangemouth on the River Forth. The rail freight connection would offer an alternative to the congested roads […]
Madrid gets new intermodal terminal connecting to Spain’s large ports
A new rail terminal has been inaugurated in Fuenlabrada, just south of Madrid. The facility offers an intermodal road-rail connection to Spain’s large ports. It specialises in semi-manufactured and temperature-controlled goods and food. The Fuenlabrada terminal, operated by Athos Rail, is located on a plot of 19,000 square metres. It has two rail platforms and […]
‘Brakes, brakes, brakes’ the takeaway from Liverpool Street incident report
The UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch has released its findings after an investigation of a runaway train incident at Liverpool Street Station in London. The non-fatal accident happened in October 2022. It involved a freight train which was serving an engineering possession at the time. In its findings, the RAIB stressed the importance of drivers […]
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 […]
Russia considers giving priority to oil and gas on its railway network
The Russian government is considering giving priority to oil and gas on its railway network in its Far Eastern region. Earlier, Russian oil and gas companies reported regular refusals for transportation of their products from rail operators. As oil and gas are essential commodities for Russia’s economy, the government is now considering giving them priority […]
German chemical industry says it is suffering from continuous rail strikes
The German chemical industry is suffering from the continuous rail strikes, according to branch organisation VCI. The organisation’s director states that the industry cannot afford more strikes, and calls for labour union GDL and Deutsche Bahn to come to an agreement. “We simply cannot afford another standstill of the railways,” says head of VCI Wolgang […]