Hardt Hyperloop Has Been Declared Bankrupt
Dutch court in The Hague has officially declared Hardt Hyperloop bankrupt, confirming earlier media reports. The Rotterdam‑based firm, spun out of TU Delft’s student team in 2017, had recently achieved a record lane‑switch test at the European Hyperloop Centre in Veendam, positioning itself as the test track’s primary customer. However, its latest annual accounts revealed a reliance on new capital that never materialised, prompting the insolvency filing. Hardt says it is working with the trustee to explore options for continuing its business activities.
Wamos Air and Jettainer Continue ULD Management Partnership
Wamos Air has renewed its long‑term partnership with ULD specialist Jettainer, extending the contract that supplies modern cargo containers via the JettwareNG platform. The agreement ensures a dedicated, dynamically managed fleet of ULDs tailored to the airline’s charter and ACMI...
Freight Costs Increase Following Military Strikes in the Middle East
Freight rates from the Far East to the U.S. and Europe rose sharply after recent military strikes in the Middle East, according to Xeneta data. Spot prices jumped about 10% on West Coast routes and 9% on East Coast routes,...
SATS Prepared to Support Shifting Cargo Routes During Middle East Disruption
SATS Ltd is closely tracking the Middle East conflict and the resulting airspace closures that are disrupting global air‑cargo flows. The Singapore‑based handler says its Saudi Arabia and Oman facilities have remained fully operational since February 28, 2026, allowing it...
Intermodal Lags Carloads in Latest U.S. Rail Freight Data
U.S. rail carriers posted a modest 1.6% rise in total traffic for the week ending Feb. 28, reaching 516,729 carloads and intermodal units. Carloads jumped 6.9% driven by a 20% surge in grain shipments, while petroleum, chemicals and metallic ores also...
DELKOR India to Supply Thickener for Arab Potash Expansion Project
DELKOR India has secured a major EPC contract with Arab Potash Company to supply a 50‑meter diameter thickener for the company’s Hot Leach Potash (HLP) capacity expansion. The thickener will be built from superalloy steel, feature a sealed, insulated tank...
Indian Railways Nears Full Electrification Amid Disruption to Gulf Oil Routes
Indian Railways has reached 99.4 % electrification of its broad‑gauge network as of January 2026, slashing diesel consumption by 62 % since 2016‑17. The shift comes amid disruptions to Gulf oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, reducing India’s exposure to volatile crude...
China Merchants Unit Orders LNG-Powered Yangtze Bulkers
China Merchants’ subsidiary Changhang Freight has placed an order for two 20,000 dwt LNG‑powered bulk carriers from Jiangxi New Jiangzhou Shipbuilding. The vessels are river‑sea direct bulkers designed for Grade A navigation on the Yangtze River, enabling seamless operation between inland waterways...
Reliance Diesel, Jet Fuel Ships Turn to Asia Instead of Europe Amid Iran War
Reliance Industries rerouted two fuel tankers—about 100,000 metric tons of diesel and 75,000 tons of jet fuel—from Europe to Asia as the Iran‑Israel conflict chokes supply through the Strait of Hormuz. Asian jet‑fuel margins surged to a record $80 a...
The First Škoda Trains for Bulgaria Will Arrive Soon
Škoda Transportation has shipped the first two RegioPanter electric multiple units to Bulgaria after completing dynamic and safety tests in the Czech Republic. The delivery initiates a fleet of 25 four‑car trains valued at over €500 million, with a 15‑year maintenance...
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...
Jindal Stainless Flags Possible Shipment Delays to West Asia
Jindal Stainless warned that shipments of stainless steel to West Asia may be delayed due to the escalating conflict affecting maritime routes and airspace. Although the region represents a small portion of its export business, the company highlighted potential transit...
Mutares Agrees to Sell inTime to Tawin Holdings Group
Mutares, the German private‑equity firm, has agreed to sell its European time‑critical logistics subsidiary, inTime, to Tawin Holdings Group. inTime provides ultra‑fast, same‑day and next‑hour delivery services across key European hubs. The divestiture aligns with Mutares’ strategy to streamline its...
Turkiye Has Modernized 60 Railway Stations in One Year
Turkey’s state railway operator TCDD renovated 60 stations in the past year, blending historic preservation with modern upgrades. The projects included seismic reinforcement at 16 sites and accessibility improvements at seven stations. Overall rail infrastructure has expanded to 13,919 km,...
US-Israel-Iran War: JMIC Data Shows ‘Near-Total Temporary Pause in Routine Commercial Traffic’ Through Strait of Hormuz
JMIC data shows routine commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has virtually stopped, with only two cargo vessels recorded in the past 24 hours versus the usual 138. The pause follows a U.S.–Israel strike on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory...
Why Your Planning Team Needs a BI Layer
Rail planning teams often add new data feeds that become extra log‑ins and reconciliation chores, leaving planners to rebuild spreadsheets for every decision. The article argues that a dedicated business intelligence (BI) layer, placed atop existing asset stores, can turn...
New – Series 82 Now with Selector and Keylock Switches.
EAO has expanded its vandal‑proof Series 82 HMI line with two new functions: illuminated selector switches and durable key‑lock switches. The selector switch features a stainless‑steel housing, ergonomic design, tactile feedback and multi‑color illumination for clear visibility in any lighting. The...
System Coating Highlights in the Anniversary Year
FreiLacke marks its centennial by showcasing a unified system coating concept that blends powder, liquid and electrocoating technologies. The portfolio now includes EcoOne 2K ETL, low‑temperature powders, water‑based and PFAS‑free formulations, and new design‑focused colour collections. Innovations such as a...
Melbourne Agency’s AI Integration to Deliver $20 Million in Savings for Four Clients
Melbourne‑based Arcadian Digital has signed AI integration projects with four logistics and warehousing clients—Bowens Timber and Hardware, Minus 1, uTenant and Steel Chief—projected to generate more than $20 million in savings over the next 12 months. The agency is delivering bespoke, API‑first middleware...
Logan & Gold Coast Faster Rail Project Works Underway
The ActivUs consortium—Acciona, CPB Contractors, UGL, SMEC and WSP—has entered the design and construction phase of Queensland’s Logan & Gold Coast Faster Rail project. Jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments, the A$5.75 bn initiative will quadruple tracks on the...
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...
How the Iran War Could Impact States and Localities
Pro‑Iranian hacktivists have begun targeting U.S. entities after the U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran, including a Pennsylvania township and Amazon Web Services data centers in the Middle East. The attacks are largely low‑level—website defacements, DDoS and SQL injections—but could cascade into...
$53M Grant to Support Development of Critical Metals Refining Industry
The Australian Government has committed $53 million through the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program to launch the Critical Metals for Critical Industries (CMCI) CRC. The initiative brings together 62 industry and research partners to develop domestic refining processes for critical metals...
Railway Supply Industry News Round-Up
This week’s railway supply chain updates include a high‑pressure water‑jet paint‑stripping system from BvL Oberflächentechnik that trims axle processing to under 23 minutes, UNIFE’s warning that the EU Industrial Accelerator Act could leave rail manufacturing exposed without strategic‑sector status, Finland’s...
ScotRail Seeks Financing Options for Replacement Suburban Trains
ScotRail has launched a procurement process to identify a financier and owner for a new fleet of electric and battery‑electric multiple‑units slated for delivery in 2031. The tender requires submissions by April 10, with invitations to bid expected on July 17, and...
Australia Exports 91,511t Chickpeas, 300,009t Lentils in Jan
Australia shipped 91,511 tonnes of chickpeas and 300,009 tonnes of lentils in January, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Chickpea exports collapsed 85% from the December peak of 594,201 tonnes, while lentil shipments slipped 5% from December’s 316,358 tonnes....
Advanced Vaccine Manufacturing in Australia to Supply Canada with 15 Million Pandemic Doses
Australian biotech firm CSL Seqirus has secured a contract with Canada’s Public Health Agency to deliver up to 15 million doses of a cell‑based, adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine if the WHO declares a pandemic. The doses will be manufactured at CSL...
Program Launched to Recycle Used Clear Aligners Across Australia and New Zealand
Angelalign Technology has launched a recycling program for used clear aligners in partnership with TerraCycle, covering dental and orthodontic practices across Australia and New Zealand. The initiative uses TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box system to collect multi‑layered plastic aligners, which are...
Cobots Take on Grueling Work
Fairbanks Morse Defense is using collaborative robots, or cobots, to weld aging diesel engines in U.S. nuclear‑navy shipyards, shrinking repair cycles from three weeks to one. Australian OEM Orbimax highlights cobots' lower speed and built‑in safety, allowing workers to operate...
LinkWorx & Bivocom: A Parternership for Robust Industrial IoT
LinkWorx announced a strategic partnership with Bivocom, integrating its Multi‑SIM (MSIM) technology into Bivocom’s industrial wireless portfolio. The combined solution delivers automatic carrier selection and failover, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for IoT and M2M devices in harsh environments. Targeted sectors include...
In Trump’s Precarious World, NZ Will Need All the Middle-Sized Friends It Can Get
New Zealand faces a shifting global order as Donald Trump’s America‑first agenda threatens the rules‑based system the country has long relied on. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for middle powers to devise practical “workarounds” highlights the urgency for smaller...
Matrix 830 - Matrix 930 - Highest Throughput Delivered with Simplicity
Datalogic unveiled the Matrix 830 and 930 series, the only 2D area imagers capable of scanning conveyor belts up to one metre wide with a single device. Featuring a 28‑megapixel sensor and PackTrack™ technology, the scanners handle speeds of up to...
Warehouses Lack Agility—And Are Paying the Price
Recent Lucas Systems research of 114 U.S. supply‑chain executives reveals that 51% of warehouses consider their automation systems unprepared for unforeseen disruptions, while 77% admit that at least half of their hardware or software is too rigid. The lack of...
TPM26: War a Problem for Container Shipping, but Not ‘Pandemic-Scale’: Analyst
Analyst Lars Jensen told the TPM 26 conference that the Middle‑East war, which has shut the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, poses a problem for container shipping but falls short of pandemic‑scale disruption. He emphasized that while the conflict will...
GTT Receives Samsung Heavy Industries Order for LNG Carrier Tank Design
GTT announced that Samsung Heavy Industries has placed an order for the design of a new LNG carrier’s cryogenic tanks in Q1 2026. The vessel will carry 180,000 m³ of LNG and will use GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system. Delivery of the...
Panel’s Message: In Order to Survive Tough Trucking Market, Don’t Overlook Data
At the TCA annual convention, mid‑size carrier executives emphasized that data and benchmarking are essential to survive the current freight recession. They praised the TCA Profitability Program (TPP) for delivering granular cost insights, from lumper payments to driver‑level profit statements....
Windward Daily Brief March 5: Conflict Reaches Indian Ocean as Hormuz Remains Shut
The Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shut on March 4, with only five vessels recorded, while traffic through Bab el‑Mandeb surged to 23 crossings, outpacing recent averages. Suez Canal activity fell to 23 transits, below trend levels, and diversions around the...
Beef Prices Spur Senate Drive to Split Meat Giants
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation that would require meatpackers to process only a single type of protein and impose tighter limits on beef market concentration. The bill also restores FTC antitrust authority over meatpacking and targets foreign‑owned firms...
Space Development Agency Faces Challenges Scaling Its Growing Constellation
The Space Development Agency’s first operational tranche of 42 satellites launched in late 2024, but on‑orbit checkout and functional testing have lagged due to supply‑chain bottlenecks, a 45‑day government shutdown, and a technical snag with a Lockheed Martin spacecraft. The...
RELEX Report: 86% of Supply Chain Leaders Impacted by Tariffs and Economic Pressures as Companies Split on Pricing and Inventory...
A RELEX survey finds 86% of supply‑chain leaders say recent tariffs and broader economic pressures have already disrupted operations. More than half of respondents have raised consumer prices, while 24% are shifting sourcing away from affected regions. Companies are split...
Not Going, Bananas: Ramzan Ripe Time for Most-Exported Fruit but Iran War a Spoiler
India’s banana exports, worth roughly ₹3,500 crore annually, are being hit by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockage has stranded 1,500–2,000 containers, valued at up to ₹200 crore, just as Maharashtra ramps up shipments for Ramzan demand across the...
Middle East War Disrupts U.S. B2B Ecommerce Supply Chains
Escalating conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States is disrupting key air and maritime corridors in the Persian Gulf, notably the Strait of Hormuz. The disruptions are lengthening transit times, raising freight costs, and forcing carriers like DHL to...
Seafarers Maintain the Right to Refuse to Sail Through Mideast Gulf Region
Seafarers can now refuse to sail through the Middle East Gulf after the threat level was raised to its highest, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the International Bargaining Forum. The agreement allows crew to decline voyages in...
Mideast War Casts Cloud on Gulf Petchems, Other Industries
Iran's retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure in the Gulf have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a fifth of global oil shipments. The shutdown immediately disrupted energy‑intensive sectors in the region, notably petrochemicals, fertilizers and aluminum, curtailing...
We Reshored Long Before Tariffs and Never Looked Back
Titan Abrasive Systems chose to reshore all components and assembly to the United States in 2013, well before tariff regimes or supply‑chain shocks emerged. The move raised production costs but delivered full visibility, rapid problem resolution, and uninterrupted delivery for...
Supply Chain Losses Hit 86% of Companies, but Most Lack Adequate Coverage: Gallagher
A Gallagher survey reveals that 86% of global companies suffered supply‑chain losses in the past year, yet only about one‑third were fully insured for those events. Rising material costs, geopolitical instability and tariff volatility are cited as the primary disruption...
Hellmann Appoints Bhasin as Automotive Logistics VP
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has named Rahul Bhasin as global vice president of its Automotive Logistics division. Bhasin, who boasts over 15 years of strategic leadership across Asia‑Pacific, the Middle East and Europe, will steer the unit toward sustainable, customer‑centric growth....
US Invites Proposals to Boost Supply of Tungsten and 12 Other Critical Minerals
The Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) announced that the U.S. military is inviting proposals to develop domestic production of 13 critical minerals, including tungsten, arsenic and nickel, with submissions due March 20, 2026. The request covers the entire value chain—from...