Spain will invest 816 million euros in rail and road connections for the Port of Barcelona. The Spanish government, infrastructure manager Adif and the Barcelona port have come to an agreement that will allow the port to be connected to the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor. The near-billion euro investment will enable the expansion and upgrading of…
Category: Rail freight
ERFA: “EU’s Greening Freight Package lacks a coherent strategy”
The EU’s Greening Freight Package is the bloc’s flagship policy package for decarbonisation in the transport sector. It looks to decrease emissions in European transport by 90 per cent in 2050. However, the package is not all sunshine and rainbows. Many disagreements about its content remain and the future of the package depends on the…
‘Spain is light years away from reaching EU rail freight goals’
The market share of rail freight in Spain is currently at around 4 per cent. By 2030, the number should more than double and reach 10 per cent, as dictated by the European Union. However, these goals are still “light years away”, as the Spanish Ministry of Transport Oscar Puente claimed. The main issue seems…
New TEN-T: TENtec guidelines are out, timetable is still missing
One of the aims of the new TEN-T Regulation is to harmonise communication between EU Member States and European institutions. To do this, the TENtec system is being developed. When fully functional, the system is expected to speed up the exchange of information and accelerate the compiling of reports and maps of the corridors. However,…
Russia to invest 156 billion rubles for Belarusian rail access to Baltic Sea
Russian Railways (RZD) intends to invest 156 billion rubles (1,5 billion euros) to enable Belarusian exports via the Baltic Sea. EU countries blocked the transit of Belarusian goods through its territories, and now Russia is coming to the aid of its steadfast ally. Additionally, Belarus will gain rail access to a brand new port in…
UK industry is generally supportive of Labour Party rail reform
The left-wing Labour Party is expected to take over in office when the United Kingdom goes to the polls later this year. The party has been in opposition for thirteen years. It could be argued that the traditionally blue-collar and industrial Labour Party has had plenty of time to formulate its plans for office. So,…
Russia grows first quarter rail exports to China by 27,5%
Russian rail exports to China have grown by 27,5 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter. In total, Russia exported 9,4 million tonnes of freight during this period. The growth reflects an ongoing trend of growing rail freight volumes between the two countries. As a result of Western sanctions, it is geopolitically important for Russia…
Go for good now, not perfect net-zero later, says Railfuture
Waiting for the perfect solution to carbon emissions is the wrong strategy. Rail freight can deliver a good solution now, which is better overall, says Railfuture, the influential pressure group that promotes rail development in the UK. Railfuture is campaigning to get freight off road trucks and onto trains. They agree with the UK Government’s…
New TEN-T: Regulation puts military mobility in the spotlight
The European Parliament recently approved the revision of the TEN-T Regulation. The new document presents a few takeaways, but one of the biggest changes is a brighter spotlight on military mobility and security across the Old Continent. For example, additional railways and roads were included in the new TEN-T map “to enhance the synergies between…
Spain allocates an additional 43,5 million euros for eco subsidies
Spain has allocated an additional 43,5 million euros for eco-incentive subsidies. With the subsidies, Spain intends to promote rail freight based on environmental and socioeconomic merit. The eco-incentive subsidies were introduced after a deal with the European Commission (EC) on the release of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Earlier, the EC wanted Madrid…