India’s Big Plans for Its Dedicated Freight Corridor
India is fast‑tracking the 2,100‑km Dankuni–Surat Dedicated Freight Corridor, an east‑west rail link that will connect the manufacturing hub of West Bengal with Gujarat’s industrial belt. The Railway Board has ordered an updated Detailed Project Report with revised cost estimates, segmented execution and weekly progress monitoring. Advanced electrification, elimination of level crossings and Kavach signalling are slated to boost capacity and safety. The project is part of a broader push to position India as a global trading hub by 2047, alongside rare‑earth and waterway corridors.
Freight Traffic Starts Along New Budapest-Belgrade Line
Regular freight traffic began at dawn on 27 February along the new Budapest‑Belgrade railway, officially linking Hungary’s and Serbia’s capitals with modern infrastructure. The €4 billion line was largely financed by Chinese lenders, including the Export‑Import Bank, and built by Chinese‑Hungarian consortia....
Adif Tenders Contract to Implement Standard Gauge to the Port of Alicante
Spain’s infrastructure manager Adif has tendered a €130 million contract to build a 75‑kilometre standard‑gauge rail line between Alicante and La Encina. The new “third track” will accommodate freight trains up to 750 metres, creating a mixed‑gauge connection that joins the port...
GB Railfreight Confirms Diesel Auction
GB Railfreight has announced a March auction of its older diesel fleet, featuring ten Class 60 heavy‑haul locomotives, three Class 47s and several Class 08 shunters. The disposal is part of a broader renewal programme that will replace legacy diesel with bimodal Class 99...
Future Intermodal Terminal in Milan Receives First Three Gantry Cranes
Three of six electric gantry cranes have been installed at the Milano Smistamento intermodal terminal, marking a key milestone for the project. The facility, jointly managed by FS Logistix and Swiss operator Hupac through TerAlp, aims to handle 44 trains...
Webinar Recap: Can We Fix the Greening Freight Package?
RailFreight.com’s webinar featuring Silvia De Rocchi and Akos Ersek dissected the EU Greening Freight Package, pinpointing fragmentation across member states and the freight sector as a major obstacle. The discussion centered on three pillars – the Combined Transport Directive, the...
‘Interest for Semi-Trailers on Rail in Ukraine Is Growing’
Interest in rail‑based semi‑trailer transport from Ukraine to Europe is rising as driver shortages and war‑related disruptions strain road freight. East‑West Intermodal Logistics (EWIL) launched a new Lviv‑to‑Fényeslitke service in partnership with Ukrainian Railways and UZ Cargo Poland, despite attacks...
Rail Freight Group Responds on Planning Reform Consultations
The Rail Freight Group (RFG) welcomed the UK government’s draft overhaul of the National Planning Policy Framework, saying it tackles long‑standing obstacles to rail freight terminal development. The group highlighted that clear planning guidance is essential to meet the target...
Rail Freight Could Soon Return to the Channel Tunnel
The UK Department for Transport has struck a government‑backed deal giving Network Rail long‑term control of the Barking Eurohub site, backed by a £15 million investment to convert it into an international logistics hub. The transformation is designed to re‑establish regular...
Geodis in New Rail-Road Service for Skincare Specialist Naos
France’s Geodis has launched a multimodal rail‑road service for skincare specialist Naos, moving products from a northern collection point in Neuville‑en‑Ferrain to a southern warehouse in Port Saint Louis via a 45‑km truck leg to Dourges and then by train...
20 Associations Make (Another) Pledge Against Gigaliners Regulation
Twenty European transport associations have issued a joint statement urging revisions to the EU Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD) before gigaliners are widely deployed. They argue the current draft fails to address modal shift, road safety, infrastructure wear and intermodal...
World Bank Enables $1.41 Billion in Funding for Middle Corridor and KTZ
The World Bank’s Board approved an $846 million IBRD guarantee, mobilising $1.41 billion in private financing for Kazakhstan’s Middle Corridor and rail operator KTZ. The funding will finance a 322.3 km Moyynty‑Kyzylzhar line, tariff reforms and institutional support, including IPO preparation. The project...
The Port of Koper Records a Highly Successful 2025 with Greater Rail Throughput
The Slovenian Port of Koper reported a robust 2025, handling 23.0 million tonnes of cargo while rail’s share of total throughput rose to 51%. Net sales reached €380.3 million, up 13% versus the plan and 15% year‑on‑year, and EBIT surged 44% to...
GB Railfreight Explores Transition to Hydrogen
GB Railfreight has signed a non‑binding memorandum of understanding with US clean‑energy developer HyOrc to launch Project Phoenix, a feasibility study that will explore retrofitting ageing Class 66 diesel locomotives with a multi‑fuel engine that first runs on natural gas or...
EU: ‘TRIPP Could Be 25% Faster than BTK’ and Help Secure Raw Materials
An EU report says the proposed Trans‑Caucasus Railway (TRIPP) corridor through southern Armenia could be up to 25 % faster than the existing Baku‑Tbilisi‑Kars (BTK) line. The project would create a US‑backed, long‑term lease railway linking Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave...
How Is Georgian Rail Freight Adapting to the Current Geopolitical Landscape?
Georgia’s rail freight accounts for about 10‑12% of national cargo volume but roughly 30% of transit flows, underscoring its strategic role in Eurasian connectivity. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, rail volumes surged 22% in 2022 and turnover jumped...
Trade Union: “The Last Word Has Not yet Been Spoken” On DB Cargo Layoffs
DB Cargo, Deutsche Bahn’s freight subsidiary, will cut 6,200 jobs – about half its staff – as part of a restructuring aimed at profitability by the end of 2026. The plan, led by CEO Bernhard Osburg, targets the single‑wagonload segment,...
VTG Gets Ready for Another Rail Highway in Spain
VTG is preparing to launch a new rail‑highway service linking the port of Huelva with Córdoba, using its T4000 wagons and the r2L loading system developed with Vega. The route will be operated by AthosRail and will carry semi‑trailers supplied...
Rail Ambition Drives Freight Growth in Egypt
Egypt is launching a high‑speed electric rail network to transform its freight logistics, linking industrial zones, agricultural hubs and seaports across a 2,000‑kilometre corridor that will later extend to 2,250 km. The system aims to lift annual rail freight volumes from...
Bulgaria to Refurbish Four Intermodal Port Terminals
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport has earmarked €7 million to refurbish four intermodal terminals across Varna and Burgas, restoring rail links and installing new handling equipment such as a mobile crane and a charging station. The upgrades target Varna‑West, PCHMV‑Varna, Dolno Ezerovo...
Nordic Re-Finance and SBB Cargo Conclude Leaseback Deal for 31 Locomotives
Nordic Re‑Finance and SBB Cargo have finalized a sale‑and‑leaseback transaction for 31 Traxx AC1 electric locomotives. SBB Cargo Switzerland sells the assets while its international arm will lease them back, delivering immediate cash and operational flexibility. The deal expands Nordic...
Rail Freight Terminal Project for Rungis International Market Hits the Buffers
A 36‑million‑euro rail freight terminal intended for Paris’s Rungis International Market has been abandoned after Rail Logistics Europe, the parent of the planned operator VIIA, withdrew its involvement. The decision, made last year but only disclosed following a media inquiry,...
HS2 and Rail Freight in UK Future
Tunnelling work on HS2’s Old Oak Common‑to‑Euston section has resumed, marking the first major construction activity after years of cost overruns and political uncertainty. The project will install 48,294 concrete ring segments and extract more than 1.5 million tonnes of spoil,...
