Russia and China Agree to Build New Cross-Border Railway
During President Putin's visit to Beijing, Russia and China signed an intergovernmental agreement to add a second 1,435‑mm gauge track on the Zabaikalsk‑Manzhouli cross‑border railway. The upgrade is slated to boost corridor capacity by 11 million tonnes and enable roughly 50 train pairs per day by 2030. The line is a pivotal link for Russia‑China trade and for shipments bound for Europe via the overland route. The project reflects Moscow’s strategic shift toward Chinese markets amid Western sanctions.
First Vehicle Transits Through the Semmering Base Tunnel
The Semmering Base Tunnel in Austria, a flagship segment of the Vienna‑Graz rail corridor, saw its first vehicle cross the tunnel despite being three years from full operational status. The inaugural passage was made by a minibus, accompanied by senior...
Spain Prepares to Reduce TACs for Freight on 1,435-Millimetre Gauge
Spain's rail infrastructure manager Adif is set to lower track access charges (TAC) for standard‑gauge freight lines, with the change expected by the end of 2026. The move addresses a long‑standing demand from the Association of Private Railway Companies (AEFP),...
Outgoing Hupac CEO Michail Stahlhut Joins Rail Innovators Group
Outgoing Hupac CEO Michail Stahlhut will take over as CEO of Rotterdam‑based Rail Innovators Group on June 1, succeeding Julian Remie, who moves to executive chairman. Stahlhut, who previously led Hupac and SBB Cargo International, brings deep experience in rail freight,...
DHL Brings Rail Into Its Formula 1 Logistics for the First Time
DHL completed its first rail‑freight leg for Formula 1, moving about 50 containers from Miami to Montreal during the 2026 season. The 2,000‑km rail run covered 68% of the load that would normally travel by truck, cutting carbon intensity while meeting...
Medway and Captrain Delay New Locomotives in Portugal to 2028
Medway and Captrain will not deploy their new Stadler Euro6000 locomotives in Portugal until 2028 because the Convel Specific Transmission Module (STM) required for ETCS compatibility has not yet been certified. Approximately 69 % of Portugal’s 2,500 km rail network uses the...
The Netherlands Announces Even Higher Track Access Charges for 2027
ProRail, the Dutch rail infrastructure manager, announced a 2.1% inflation‑linked indexation for 2027 track access charges, pushing the cost for a 1,500‑tonne freight train to €2.2719 per kilometre (about $2.48). The increase adds roughly €0.05/km ($0.055) over the original 2027...
New Controversy Surrounds the Gotthard Base Tunnel Derailment
A freight train derailed in the Gotthard Base Tunnel on Aug 10, 2023 after a cracked wheel went undetected, shutting the critical north‑south corridor for more than a year. The Ticino canton's public minister now claims Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) ignored...
Spain to Support Rail Freight with €15,000 per Diesel Locomotive
Spain has launched a state‑aid program that grants up to $16,350 per diesel locomotive to offset soaring fuel costs, with applications open from May 14 to May 29. The scheme allocates roughly $3.44 million, enough to support 210 locomotives, and can cover up...
Turkmenistan Modernises Its Railways to Become a New Middle Corridor Gateway
Turkmenistan has issued an international tender to assess a major upgrade of its rail line to the Caspian Sea port of Turkmenbashi. The modernisation plan targets passenger speeds of 160 km/h, freight speeds of 90 km/h, a 28‑tonne axle load and 35...
HHLA’s Rail and Intermodal Drop, More Difficulties in Germany on the Horizon
Hamburg-based HHLA reported early‑2026 figures showing container handling fell 5.3% year‑on‑year to 1.462 million TEU, with its Hamburg terminal down 6.6%. Intermodal volumes slipped 1.5% and rail transport declined 1.1% to 424 000 TEU. The drop is attributed to a harsh winter,...
Ukrainian Railways Uses Bogie Change Tech on New Route From Romania
Ukrainian Railways (UZ) has inaugurated a new freight corridor linking the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, to Perechyn in western Ukraine. To speed up the transition between the 1,520‑mm Ukrainian gauge and the 1,435‑mm standard gauge, UZ deployed a...
Former DB Cargo CEO Sigrid Nikutta Joins NEXRAIL Board
Former DB Cargo chief Sigrid Nikutta has joined the board of NEXRAIL, a Rotterdam‑based locomotive leasing firm, after departing the German rail operator in late 2025. Nikutta’s tenure at DB Cargo featured digital upgrades and modest market‑share gains amid intense...
Rail Figures in Blyth Port Expansion Plan
The Port of Blyth is advancing a £100 million (≈$117 million) expansion of its Battleship Wharf terminal, focusing on new quay infrastructure, dredging and land reclamation. A 420‑metre rail loading facility already links the terminal to the national freight network, supporting the...
Swedish BLS Rail Goes Bankrupt
Swedish freight operator BLS Rail, founded in 2009, declared bankruptcy on May 12, 2026 after failing to receive promised environmental and diversion compensation from Sweden's Trafikverket and Norway's railway administration. The cash‑flow shortfall was compounded by the 2023 collapse of...
Freight Terminal Proposal to Fill an England – Scotland Gap?
Rail Sidings Limited, operator of the historic Eastriggs site in southwest Scotland, has unveiled plans to transform the former munitions‑factory yard into a multi‑purpose rail freight terminal dubbed Borderlands Rail Hub. The location sits on the West Coast Main Line,...
Four Players in Northern Italy Launch Initiative ‘to Double Rail Freight Volumes’
Four logistics leaders in Emilia‑Romagna — the Port of Ravenna, intermodal terminals in Bologna and Dinazzano, and Rail Traction Company — have launched ROLER, an initiative aimed at doubling rail freight volumes in the region. The partnership seeks to reverse...
Russian Rail Freight Indeed Benefits From Iran War
Russian Railways (RZD) broke a 2.5‑year slide as the Iran conflict redirected freight flows to rail. March saw a 40% jump in China‑Europe container traffic, while April loading volumes rose 1.9% year‑on‑year – the first increase in years. Commodity shipments...
Climate Activists Again Block the Rotterdam Port Railway
Dutch climate group Geef Tegengas staged repeated blockades on the Rotterdam port railway over the weekend, re‑occupying the tracks on Monday morning. The actions, mirroring last year’s disruptions, halted freight movements for several hours and are estimated to have caused...
Poland Requests Urgent JNS Procedure Relating to Innofreight MonTainer XXM
Poland’s Office of Rail Transport (UTK) has lodged an urgent Joint Notification System (JNS) request concerning Innofreight’s 13‑ft MonTainer XXM containers equipped with gravity‑based HardTop covers. The move follows a April 2025 incident where a cover detached in windy conditions and struck...
Level Playing Field: Captrain CEO and Polish Deputy Minister Call for Structural Reforms
At the ERFA conference, Captrain Deutschland CEO Henrik Würdemann and Polish Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Piotr Malepszak called for structural reforms to level the playing field between rail freight and trucks. Würdemann highlighted state‑funded truck parking, uneven track‑access charges, and...
Germany Announces Stable Network Quality, Associations Mostly See Construction Obstacles
DB InfraGO’s 2025 rail network report shows the overall condition unchanged at a 3.00 score, with half of the assets rated good or “as new.” Signal boxes lag far behind, scoring 4.02 and over half rated poor, while tunnels and...
UK Terminal Plans: Not Dead, Just Sleeping
Rail freight advocates in the UK argue that the current planning system blocks vital intermodal terminals, as illustrated by the rejected Ravenscraig proposal in Scotland. The site, once a rail freight hub, was denied consent due to local opposition favoring...
DG MOVE: “We Shouldn’t Give up on Block Trains”
At the European Rail Freight Association’s annual event, DG MOVE’s land‑transport director Kristian Schmidt warned that rail freight’s modal share has slipped to just 11% while road transport dominates at 77%. He linked the decline to the Ukraine war, energy shortages...
Georgia Announces €1.4bn Railway Investment for Coming Decade
Georgia has announced a €1.4 billion (≈$1.53 billion) rail investment for the next decade, aiming to halve transit times on the China‑Europe Middle Corridor. The plan includes 50 new locomotives, 1,500 freight wagons worth over €300 million, modernised stations, automated management systems, and...
Port of Thessaloniki Signs MoU with Greek and Bulgarian Railways to Strengthen Intermodal
The Port of Thessaloniki has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Greece’s Hellenic Train and Bulgaria’s BDZ to boost intermodal freight connectivity across Southeast Europe. The agreement coincides with the Pier 6 expansion, which will more than double the container terminal’s...
Maciej Gładyga Takes over ERFA Presidency
The European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) has appointed Maciej Gładyga as its new president, succeeding Dirk Stahl who led the body for six years. Gładyga, currently Managing Director of Poland’s Land Transport Chamber of Commerce and ERFA vice‑president since 2019,...
‘Switzerland Could Withdraw Its Wagon Wheel Rules Decision’
At the ERFA Rail Freight event in Brussels, Swiss Transport Director Christa Hostettler addressed the contentious wagon‑wheel safety rules Switzerland imposed after the 2023 Gotthard Base Tunnel derailment. The unilateral standards have been challenged in court by rail freight operators...
‘Reduced Container Availability in Europe Due to Repositioning to Asia’
European logistics firms are bracing for a tighter container market as carriers reposition equipment back to Asia, according to Italian container manager Sogese. The shift is driven by rising production in China and strengthening demand signals, which are pulling 40-foot...
The Adoption Gap Is Not a Technology Problem: It Is a Decision Problem
Rail freight possesses a wealth of technologies that could boost line capacity, cut energy use, and increase service frequency, yet adoption lags because the bottleneck is decision‑making, not technical readiness. Decision‑makers face an asymmetric personal risk: success yields modest recognition,...
Third Track Works Almost Done: Was the Rail Freight Impact as Manageable as Authorities Claim?
Germany will finish the third‑track construction on the Emmerich‑Oberhausen line on 17 May, ending an 80‑week shutdown that forced both tracks closed. The closure disrupted the main rail artery serving the Port of Rotterdam, prompting capacity constraints, longer transit times and...
Sweden to Reduce Track Access Charges for Freight by 20%
Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) will cut rail freight track access charges by 20% starting with the 2028 timetable, reversing a 40% rise seen in 2024‑25. The reduction follows a government‑commissioned study and is paired with a higher passenger charge (+15%)....
2025 at ČD Cargo Mirrors PKP Cargo’s 2024
ČD Cargo reported transporting 57.8 million tonnes in 2025, a 1.1 million‑tonne increase over 2024, driven by higher demand for fuel, container and cross‑border services. International operations surged, with 16.6 million tonnes moved abroad and the Polish subsidiary hitting a record 6 million tonnes....
PKP Cargo Terminale to Take Part in the European Cargo Experience
Polish state‑owned rail freight group PKP Cargo announced that its terminal arm, PKP Cargo Terminale, will speak at the European Cargo Experience in Gdańsk on May 6‑7. CEO Cezary Klimont will join Baltic Hub’s Jan Van Mossevelde in the opening ceremony,...
Kazakh Railways Starts Building Its Own Maritime Fleet
Kazakh Railways’ freight arm KTZ Express has placed orders for six new river‑sea vessels to operate across the Caspian and Black Seas. The ships, built by China’s Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Industry (four vessels) and Azerbaijan’s Baku Shipyard (two vessels), each...
GBRf and Maritime Seal New Deal
GB Railfreight and Maritime Transport have signed a new multi‑year agreement to operate intermodal rail services linking the UK’s major deep‑sea ports—Tilbury, London Gateway and Felixstowe—with Maritime’s inland distribution hubs. The contract extends a two‑decade partnership and underpins Maritime’s strategy...
A Resilient Hupac Defies Construction Works, Expects Growth From 2029
Swiss intermodal leader Hupac reported a modest profit of CHF3.5 million (≈$3.8 million) and a 3.1% revenue rise to CHF646 million (≈$704 million) in 2025, despite ongoing rail construction in the Rhine Valley and northern Italy. Transport volumes grew 4.3% to 1.9 million TEU, with...
Adif (Re)-Tenders Management of Valladolid Terminal
Spanish rail infrastructure manager Adif has reopened a tender to operate the new Valladolid terminal after dismissing the first two offers. The six‑year contract is valued at €807,935 (approximately $880,000) and is slated to begin operations in September. Bidders must...
Freight Expectations at the UK Ballot Boxes
Rail freight is emerging from the shadows of UK election manifestos as Scotland and Wales outline climate‑focused logistics plans ahead of the 2026 votes. The Scottish Greens pledge to shift half of heavy road freight to rail by 2035, while...
PKP Cargo Does What It Set Out to Do: Positive Numbers in 2025
Polish rail freight leader PKP Cargo posted a net financial gain of 39.4 million PLN (about $9.5 million) for the group and a net profit of 73.7 million PLN (roughly $18 million) for the company in 2025. The turnaround follows a restructuring program launched...
Contship Italia Posts Overall Growth in 2025
Contship Italia posted a 3.5% rise in TEU handling to roughly 1.71 million units in 2025, while net profit surged 16.7% and revenue reached €293 million (about $320 million). Growth was led by the Salerno and Ravenna terminals, which posted 16.2% and 12.7%...
Class 93 UK Tour Continues at Derby
Rail Operations Group showcased its new Class 93 tri‑mode locomotive at Derby, offering electric, diesel‑hybrid and battery power. The company has taken delivery of ten units, with options to expand to thirty, and highlights performance gains such as up to...
Will the EU’s Electricity Tax Plans Be of Any Help to Rail Freight?
The European Commission’s AccelerateEU package proposes capping electricity taxes at the level of diesel taxes to protect rail freight’s cost base amid the EU energy crisis. Rail freight advocates argue that lower electricity taxes would boost the sector’s competitiveness against...
RCG to Start Using Intramotev’s Autonomous Wagons
Rail Cargo Group (RCG), Austria’s state‑owned rail freight operator, will deploy Intramotev’s battery‑electric TugVolt autonomous wagons on its network. The rollout marks Intramotev’s first regulated use case outside the United States and its inaugural international deployment. The wagons can travel...
Russian Iron Ore and Grain Exports by Rail Skyrocket Amid War in the Middle East
Russian rail freight for iron ore surged 30% year‑on‑year in Q1 2026, reaching 57,100 tonnes, while grain shipments via rail approached a record 19.26 million tonnes between July 2025 and March 2026, representing 52‑56% of the modal mix. China stayed the top iron‑ore...
CargoBeamer Takes over Kaldenkirchen and Has Domodossola in Sight
CargoBeamer has taken over operations at the Kaldenkirchen intermodal terminal in Germany while its new facility is still under construction. The company plans to install its proprietary horizontal transshipment system, which should double annual capacity to roughly 140,000 loading units...
Polish Intermodal Keeps Growing with Two New Services
Poland’s intermodal freight sector is expanding with two new rail services. Miratrans launched a twice‑weekly shuttle between Rotterdam’s RSC terminal and its Krzewie hub, while Baltic Rail opened a link from the Croatian port of Rijeka to terminals in Wrocław, Katowice...
Historic Moment in Rail Freight: Challengers Are Growing Bigger than Incumbent Operators
A new IRG‑Rail report shows private rail‑freight challengers captured 41% of Europe’s market in 2024, just shy of the 42% held by domestic incumbents while foreign incumbents sit at 16%. Between 2020 and 2024 challengers grew more than one percentage...
PKP Cargo Partners up with Korean Company to Build Wagons for Military Mobility
Polish state‑owned rail freight group PKP Cargo has signed a 12‑month agreement with South Korean rolling‑stock maker Sung Shin Rolling Stock Technology (SSRST) to explore a joint venture that will produce wagons for heavy military equipment. The venture would likely...
Muuga and Much More: How Will Rail Baltica Impact Rail Freight in Estonia?
Rail Baltica will launch from Estonia, covering 213 km with 107 km already under construction. The line’s primary freight hub will be the Muuga port, slated to begin building its terminal in 2027, while additional dry‑port facilities are planned at...