Spain to Give 5,5 Million to Ukraine for Variable-Gauge Systems
Spain has approved a €5.48 million non‑repayable grant to support Ukraine’s development of variable‑gauge freight bogies that can automatically switch between the 1520 mm Russian gauge and the 1435 mm standard European gauge. The funding will be administered through a grant agreement, with technical assistance from Spain’s rail infrastructure manager Adif and engineering firm Tria. This project is the first to draw from Spain’s €200 million aid package for Ukraine announced at the end of 2023. The technology aims to bypass costly new‑track construction, facilitating faster integration of Ukrainian rail freight into the European network.
740-Metre Trains Have Shown Themselves to Be Surprisingly Divisive
RailFreight.com’s opinion piece sparked a heated debate over Europe’s push for 740‑metre freight trains. While EU policy treats the length as essential for capacity, critics argue that longer trains worsen bottlenecks, slow speeds, and misalign with shipper needs. Opponents highlight...
Middle East War Casts Long Shadow over UK Rail Freight Operations
UK rail freight faces growing pressure from the Middle East war, which is driving higher energy prices and disrupting global shipping lanes. Rising diesel and electricity costs increase traction expenses, while container delays at ports such as Felixstowe strain intermodal...
‘Rail Won’t Replace Ocean Freight’ Amid Middle East Chaos
The recent Israel‑U.S. strike on Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz, halting hundreds of vessels and unsettling the Europe‑Asia supply chain. Experts say rail, particularly the China‑Europe “Middle Corridor,” can serve as a credible backup but lacks the scale...
ECJ Opens Door to Several Hundred Million Euro TAC Refunds in Germany
The European Court of Justice has struck down Germany’s cap on track access charges (TAC) for local passenger services, a rule that forced rail freight operators to pay inflated fees since 2016. The decision ends the discriminatory charge structure and...
Poland Approves PKP Cargo’s Restructuring Plan
Poland's Judge‑Commissioner has approved PKP Cargo's restructuring plan, clearing the way for the rail operator to settle with creditors and shed the "in restructuring" suffix. The plan, submitted in June 2025, focuses on boosting liquidity, reducing debt, and improving operational...
‘DAC Installation Might Cost Less than 4 Euros per Day’
The European rail industry is exploring a hire‑purchase model for Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) that would cost €3.49 per wagon per day over a 20‑year term, according to EUROFIMA CEO Christoph Pasternak. The scheme relies on a non‑profit rental company...
Open Modal Launches New Domestic ‘Combi’ Route
Open Modal has launched a new domestic combined‑rail route linking Lille and Miramas via Bonneuil, effective March 10. The service begins with three weekly round‑trips, slated to increase to five, and joins its existing Mediterranean corridor routes. Trains are 750 metres long,...
EU Approves Support Measure: Combined Transport on Frejus Line Can Make a Comeback
The European Commission approved a €5 million support measure, split equally between France and Italy, to revive combined‑transport operations on the 175‑kilometre Fréjus railway linking Aiton and Orbassano. The line, closed since a landslide in August 2023, is expected to restart...
VTG & Breedon Renew 15yr Cement Wagon Deal
VTG Rail UK has renewed a 15‑year lease with Breedon Group for 72 JPA cement wagons, extending a long‑standing bulk‑cement logistics partnership. The wagons, each capable of carrying 81 tonnes, move more than 1.5 million tonnes of cement annually from Hope Cement...
Spain Considers a New Rail Terminal Near Algeciras Port
Spain is evaluating a new rail terminal 11 km west of the Algeciras port to alleviate current capacity constraints, with an estimated €62 million price tag. The proposal includes five new sidings and a 3.65‑km link directly into the port, addressing the...
Rail Freight Takes a 60% Modal Share Between Norway’s Two Biggest Cities
Freight traffic between Oslo and Bergen now runs on rail for 60% of trips, outpacing road transport. Twelve freight trains operate daily on the Bergen Line, and volumes in the first two months of 2025 are 20% higher than a...
Brittany Ferries Rail Highway Service Back on Track
Brittany Ferries has restored its rail‑highway service between Cherbourg and Bayonne/Mouguerre after a January derailment halted operations. The line resumed with a convoy of 12 wagons and will scale to 18 wagons, moving 36 road trailers per round‑trip. Repairs to...
Danger in Iran Comes at a Cost for Russian INSTC Exporters
The ongoing conflict in Iran has crippled the International North‑South Transport Corridor (INSTC), forcing Russian exporters to confront severe disruptions. Alternative routes can only absorb about 70% of the displaced freight, while transportation costs on those corridors are 20‑30% higher...
Industrial Power Shapes Logistics Power
China’s industrial upgrade is reshaping global logistics as high‑value exports like electric vehicles, batteries and renewable‑energy equipment drive a surge in outbound freight to Europe. The China‑Europe rail corridor now sees a westbound to eastbound container ratio approaching 7:1, highlighting...
Sanctions Push Russia to Broaden the Use of Intermodal Rail
Russian Railways (RZD) has begun intermodal tests in the Saint‑Petersburg region, loading semi‑trailers and swap bodies onto trains. The initiative builds on earlier trials dating back to 2019 and follows a fully‑loaded semi‑trailer train run in 2022. Piggyback traffic surged...
Spain’s Key Rail Tunnel to France to Close for up to Seven Weeks
Spain’s Rubi Tunnel near Barcelona will be shut from March 14 for up to seven weeks while ADIF carries out reinforcement and stabilisation work. The closure reduces the Perthus corridor to a maximum of two outbound and two return freight...
Maersk Turns EWG’s Terminal in Hungary Into a Dry Port
Maersk has signed an agreement with East‑West Intermodal Logistics (EWG) to launch a container depot and dry‑port service at EWG’s terminal in Fényeslitke, Hungary. The dry‑port model moves traditional seaport functions inland, allowing cargo to be processed closer to end‑users....
Belgium-Italy Links Boost Hupac’s Growth
Hupac reported a 4.3% rise in road consignments, reaching 1,853,000 TEUs in 2025. Growth was driven by a new Gent‑Piadena service and higher frequency on the Zeebrugge‑Piacenza link, strengthening the Belgium‑Italy corridor. The company noted that without these volumes, trans‑Alpine...
When the Fire Is Not the Railway’s Fault
An uncontrolled fire beside Glasgow Central Station forced the indefinite closure of Scotland’s busiest rail hub, halting passenger services and prompting widespread diversions. While freight traffic escaped major impact, the incident highlighted how external urban hazards—fires, floods, structural failures—can cripple...
Waberer’s Rail Freight Subsidiary Wins Major Contract with BMW
PSP Rail, the rail freight arm of Hungary’s Waberer’s International, has landed a long‑term contract with BMW to move finished vehicles from the automaker’s Debrecen plant to European seaports for export. The agreement, running through 2031, will initially replace a...
Listen to the RF Podcast #8: ‘Battery/Electric Locos Are the Way to Go’
At RailTech Europe 2026, Nexrail’s Chief Business Development Officer Mark Remie discussed a hybrid battery‑electric locomotive strategy on RF Podcast #8. The approach combines on‑board batteries with grid electricity to capture regenerative braking energy and reduce fuel consumption by up...
SBB Cargo Continues to Bleed
Swiss rail freight arm SBB Cargo posted a 122 million CHF loss for 2025, a 60 % increase from the prior year, driven largely by asset depreciation. Both domestic and international tonnage continued to fall, with Swiss‑only volumes slipping below five billion net tonne‑kilometres...
Siemens to Launch Rail Vehicle Production in Duisport’s Logport I
Siemens Mobility will launch a new rail‑vehicle production centre at duisport’s Logport I in Duisburg‑Rheinhausen, with construction finishing by the end of 2026 and operations starting in early 2027. The €25 million investment includes a production hall equipped with five cranes, two...
China-Europe Rail Traffic via Russia Keeps Plummeting
China‑Europe rail freight via Russia fell sharply in 2025, with a 14.1% drop in total TEUs and a 22.7% plunge in eastbound shipments, reaching a historic low of 38,422 TEUs. Despite the volume decline, Chinese export value to Europe rose...
Data of the Week: Portugal Limits Track Access Charges Increase for Freight
Portugal’s transport regulator has trimmed the freight track access charge increase for 2025 from a projected 21.25% to 2.4%, raising the average fee to €1.47 per kilometre. The amendment also sets a 12.33% compound annual growth rate for 2026‑2028, with...
5 Questions for Rail Baltica’s Freight Future
Rail Baltica’s first phase, a €15.3 billion standard‑gauge corridor linking Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Poland, is slated for completion by 2030. The project aims to move up to 9.2 million tonnes of freight annually by 2046, with bulk cargo dominating the...
Grimaldi Euromed and FS Logistix Join Forces for Sea-Rail Links
Grimaldi Euromed and state‑owned FS Logistix signed a memorandum of understanding to launch sea‑rail connections, initially linking the Adriatic ports of Ancona and Venice with intermodal terminals across Italy and Europe. The partnership will use Grimaldi’s short‑sea Ro‑Ro network and...
Around 1,600 Russian Wagons to Be Taken over by Ukrainian Railways
Ukrainian Railways will incorporate 1,592 Russian freight wagons seized since the 2022 invasion, adding roughly €43.3 million (₴2.2 billion) in assets to its fleet. The wagons, deemed operational, will serve civilian freight and defense logistics until the end of their service life....
Next Steps for Rasht-Astara Line to Be Taken Next Month?
Russia and Iran will sign off the 164‑km Rasht‑Astara railway line on April 1, 2026, a cornerstone of the International North‑South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The €1.6 billion project, jointly funded by Moscow and Tehran, aims to streamline cargo flow from India...
Bulgaria-North Macedonia Rail Border Crossing to Be Ready in 2030
Bulgaria and North Macedonia have agreed to complete their first rail border crossing by 2030, featuring a 2.4‑kilometre tunnel under the Deve Bair mountain. The tunnel, costing roughly €69 million, is slated for Bulgarian completion by the end of 2028, after...
What Changes with the Updated General Contract for the Use of Wagons?
The General Contract for the Use of Wagons (CGU) was revised at the start of 2026 to streamline procedures and clarify responsibility during wagon custody. Railway Undertakings (RUs) can now directly commission repairs without awaiting approval from distant keepers, accelerating...
Metrans Acquires 50% of AFLUENT Arad South Terminal
Metrans has finalized the purchase of a 50 % stake in the AFLUENT Arad South Terminal, located in Romania near the Hungarian border. The acquisition complements Metrans’ newly built Szeged terminal and expands its intermodal footprint across Southeast Europe. A Bucharest‑Arad...
Nuclear Power Station Rail Route Shapes Up
Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk is adding a temporary “Green Rail Route” and upgrading the existing Sizewell Branch Line to move up to 60% of construction materials by rail and sea. The upgrades include track renewal, new signalling...
Modal Group Poised for France-Italy Combi Service Launch
Modal Group, formerly Modalis, is set to launch its first combined rail‑road service between Lyon, France and Piacenza, Italy on 9 March, operating through its Delta Rail subsidiary. The company plans three weekly round trips initially, with the schedule designed to...
LKW Walter and DP World Launch New Germany-Serbia Intermodal Service
DP World and Austrian carrier LKW Walter have launched a dedicated intermodal rail service linking Novi Sad, Serbia, with the logistics hub of Herne in Germany. The route runs three times weekly, offering faster transit than conventional trucking and cutting carbon...
‘Republika Srpska Railways May Not Survive Steel Chain Collapse’
The closure of Bosnia’s New Zenica Steelworks threatens the survival of the Railways of Republika Srpska (RRS), which derives about 60% of its freight revenue from the plant. Earlier bankruptcies at the Lukavac coke plant and the looming collapse of...
Friday Forum: Degrees or Diesel?
Britain’s rail freight sector is celebrating its 200th anniversary by pledging to recruit 2,000 apprentices, signalling a major push to address skills shortages. The industry now competes with road logistics, aviation, ports and tech firms for talent, offering both apprenticeship...
UK Direct Rail Services Reactivates Crewe Charity Open Day
Direct Rail Services (DRS) announced the return of its annual charity open day at the Gresty Bridge depot in Crewe on 11 July. The event, a flagship public showcase for the UK’s leading rail freight operator, will allow visitors to...
Captrain and CargoBeamer Expand Their Rail Services
Captrain and CargoBeamer are expanding rail freight services across Europe. CargoBeamer will increase its Calais‑Perpignan intermodal route to five weekly roundtrips, offering daily departures and a 26‑hour transit time for all semi‑trailers. In Germany, Captrain, together with LIT Speditions, has...
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Sign Contract for Large-Scale Logistics Infrastructure Project
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed an EPC contract with China Railway Construction Engineering Group to build a modern multi‑purpose logistics centre (MPLC) in Tashkent. The 159.4‑hectare complex will include rail infrastructure and a container terminal, with the first phase valued...
Moroccan Rail Freight Growth Carried by Phosphates
Moroccan rail freight volumes rose 8% year‑on‑year in 2025, reaching 23 million tonnes and generating roughly €181 million in revenue. The surge is driven largely by phosphate transportation, as the country’s exports of the mineral jumped 21% in the first seven months,...
Data of the Week: Only One Major Port in Northwestern Europe Capitalised on Container Growth
Northwestern Europe’s key ports—Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg—are shifting from bulk cargo to containers, with a 19 % drop in liquid bulk at Antwerp in 2025. Container traffic is the only growth segment, led by Hamburg’s 7.3 % increase, while Rotterdam grew 3.1 %...
Gysev Cargo to Operate Future Trieste–Hungary Service
Gysev Cargo has signed an agreement with state‑owned Adria Port to operate a dedicated rail link between Hungary and a future intermodal terminal in Trieste. The terminal, covering 34 hectares, is slated for completion in 2028 and will be funded...
Boardroom Shunting Ops at DB Cargo UK
DB Cargo UK announced a senior‑leadership reshuffle aimed at tightening commercial, operational and project functions. Roger Neary moves from chief sales officer to chief commercial officer, merging sales, commercial development and engineering under one umbrella. Kate Turner is promoted to...
€16.7 Million for a Modernised Rail Link to Setúbal Port
Portugal has allocated €16.7 million to modernise the rail link serving the Setúbal port, part of a broader €40 million corridor investment. The project will electrify the line and accommodate 750‑metre trains, targeting 2,900 train movements annually. Infraestruturas de Portugal expects improved...
Rail Logistics Europe (SNCF) Demonstrated ‘Notable Resilience’
France’s SNCF Group posted a fifth straight year of profit in 2025, lifting net profit to €1.8 bn on stable €43 bn revenue. Rail Logistics Europe (RLE) saw EBITDA climb to €260 m, raising its margin to 14.4% despite a 1.6% revenue dip...
Divača–Koper New Railway to Open for Tests Next Week
Slovenian infrastructure firm 2TDK will open the new Divača‑Koper railway for test runs from 9 to 11 March. The line, Slovenia’s first long‑distance slab‑track (RHEDA 2000) installation, will undergo safety measurements on derailment coefficient and lateral acceleration before commercial service begins...
Russian Rolling Stock Production Shrinks Substantially in 2025
Russian rolling stock output contracted sharply in 2025, with total freight wagon production falling 29.5% to roughly 52,700 units and locomotive output dropping between 15% and 44% across categories. Only metro and tank wagons recorded modest growth, while hopper wagons...
Nurminen Logistics Reports a Financially Robust 2025 Despite Weak Markets
Nurminen Logistics posted a solid 2025 despite weak macro conditions, growing net sales 4.4% to €109.4 million and delivering €18.3 million comparable EBITA. Rail became the engine of growth, with sales climbing to €78.2 million and representing 71.5% of group revenue after the...
