Belgian Sovereign Wealth Fund Takes Full Control of Lineas
The European Commission approved Belgian sovereign wealth fund SFPIM’s move to acquire full control of Lineas, Europe’s largest privately‑owned rail freight operator. SFPIM, already holding 46.42% of the company, will replace French private‑equity owner Argos Wityu’s 53.58% stake. The deal cleared a simplified EU competition review, as Lineas’ market footprint is limited. Lineas, hit by weak steel, chemical and automotive traffic, has relied on sale‑lease‑backs, capital injections and a €61 million ($66.5 million) soft‑loan state aid to stay afloat.
Cape Town’s First MyCiTi E-Bus to Arrive in August
Cape Town will receive its first MyCiTi electric bus in August, followed by 13 more before year‑end, as part of a rollout of 30 Volvo BZRLE low‑floor e‑buses slated for delivery through June 2027. The buses feature bodies manufactured locally in...
Boeing Delivers Three 777Fs in March
Boeing delivered three new‑build 777F freighters in March 2026, raising the year‑to‑date total to eight. Two aircraft went to Emirates and one to MSC Air Cargo, adding to earlier deliveries for Silk Way West, CES Leasing, Qatar Airways and National Airlines....
Geneva Broker Lightship Reshuffles Top Team
Geneva‑based broker Lightship announced a top‑team reshuffle to fuel the next phase of growth in the dry‑bulk market. Long‑time chief executive Sune Fladberg was promoted to vice chairman, shifting his focus to long‑term strategy and business development. Industry veteran Mark...
Deliverect Streamlines Quick-Commerce Operations for Asda
Deliverect, the Belgian food‑tech unicorn, has signed a partnership with UK supermarket Asda to streamline its quick‑commerce operations. The platform consolidates orders from on‑demand delivery services such as Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo into a single workflow, giving Asda...
18 Ways to Break Through Global Supply Chain Complexity
The article outlines 18 actionable strategies for global supply‑chain leaders to navigate mounting tariff volatility, export controls and geopolitical risk. A recent Supreme Court decision replaced broad IEEPA tariffs with a 10% temporary duty under the Trade Act of 1974,...
Akasa Heads to Hanoi as Iran War Freezes Gulf Expansion Plans
Akasa Air has shelved its planned Gulf expansion after the Iran war disrupted routes and raised operating costs. Instead, the carrier will launch direct Mumbai‑Hanoi flights on September 4, adding Hanoi as its seventh international city with four weekly services. The...
BIFA Parts with Smart Freight Centre on Emissions Training
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has partnered with Smart Freight Centre (SFC) to provide emissions‑reporting training for its members. The SFC Academy will offer discounted courses covering the GLEC Framework, market‑based measures, and road‑freight electrification. The collaboration responds to...
Nippon Express and Nikon Sign SAF Agreement
Japanese logistics firm Nippon Express and camera maker Nikon have renewed a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) agreement for air cargo shipments, marking the second consecutive year of collaboration. The deal leverages Nippon’s NX‑GREEN SAF program to issue CO₂‑reduction certificates for...
IoT Fleet Management: Telematics, Tracking and Operational Optimization
Connected technologies are transforming fleet management from basic tracking into a data‑driven discipline that blends telematics, connectivity and analytics. Modern IoT fleet systems use sensors, GNSS and cellular or LPWAN links to stream real‑time vehicle, driver and cargo data to...
RAW Charging Powers up One of the Largest EV Charging Hubs in the Midlands at Leamington Spa Shopping Park
RAW Charging has activated a 17‑bay electric‑vehicle charging hub at Leamington Spa Shopping Park, featuring six AC fast bays and eleven 150 kW ultra‑rapid DC bays. The site, the largest EV hub in the Midlands, serves a high‑footfall retail and leisure...
Hitachi to Develop Portugal’s Second Translator Tech for ETCS Trains on Legacy Lines
Hitachi Rail has secured a contract from Infraestruturas de Portugal to build the country’s second Specific Transmission Module (STM), a translator that lets ETCS‑equipped trains run on legacy Convel signalling. About 69% of Portugal’s 2,500‑km network still uses Convel, so...
LAX's Long-Awaited Train to Hit the Rails as Testing Begins
Los Angeles International Airport’s 2.25‑mile Automated People Mover will begin driver‑less, empty‑train testing next week, marking the first operational run after years of delays. The $5.5 billion project, started in 2019, was originally slated for a 2023 opening and is now...
Great British Railways HQ Shortlisted to Two Derby Locations
Great British Railways (GBR) has narrowed its headquarters search to two Derby sites – the brownfield Becketwell redevelopment and the existing Midland House railway building. Derby was selected in 2023 for its rail heritage, central location and existing industry presence....
Stock Surge Lifts Used Car Retail Value to £52.6m
Dealer Auction reported that used‑car retail value surged to £52.6 million (about $66.8 million) in March, up from £42 million the month before. Fresh‑stock listings jumped 20 %, driving nearly 80,000 bids and adding roughly $12.7 million in retail uplift. The sub‑£10,000 segment saw the...
Euroseas Locks in 60% Rate Jump for Feeder Vessel
Euroseas has secured a new time charter for its 3,100‑teu feeder vessel EM Kea at $30,000 per day, a roughly 60% increase over the prior $19,000 rate. The contract runs for a minimum of 36 months starting July 14, 2026, with an optional...
AIR Announces First Flight of Its Heavylift UAS
Israel‑based AIR has completed the maiden flight of its production Cargo‑Heavy Lift unmanned aircraft, a VTOL platform capable of lifting roughly 550 lb. The system, built around next‑generation motors, advanced batteries and mature avionics, is designed for autonomous logistics with minimal...
What Will You Learn At A Defensive Driving Course (That Could Also Save Money On Your Insurance)?
Defensive driving courses teach techniques like the five‑step Scan‑Identify‑Predict‑Decide‑Execute process and the three‑second following‑distance rule, improving situational awareness for everyday motorists. The National Safety Council and state‑approved programs offer both online and in‑person classes, with typical online fees around $25...
Perdana Petroleum Wins AHTS Vessel Contracts From Petronas
Perdana Petroleum’s wholly owned unit, Perdana Nautika, received work orders on April 8 to supply two anchor handling tug and supply (AHTS) vessels to Petronas Carigali. The charters span 303 days and 224 days, each with an optional 40‑day extension, and...
Greater Bay Airlines to Reportedly Suspend Bangkok Flights From Mid-May to September
Greater Bay Airlines announced it will suspend most Hong Kong‑Bangkok flights from mid‑May through September 2026, citing surging global oil prices and market volatility. The airline also flagged limited service reductions on selected Taipei routes. Only two flights in early...
Why a Single Bypass Method Isn’t Enough
PrePass® promotes a dual‑method weigh‑station bypass that combines mobile‑app screening with transponder technology. The mobile app expands coverage quickly, while transponders guarantee reliable skips at high‑traffic, staffed sites. Together they enable fleets to capture the full benchmark‑based savings of roughly...
Japan Shipbuilding Slots Vanish Amid Order Surge
Japan’s shipyards are effectively booked through 2029, with a three‑and‑a‑half‑year backlog of orders, driven largely by bulk carriers. The Japan Ship Exporters’ Association reports that almost 75% of the pending work is bulk‑carrier construction, leaving virtually no capacity for new...
US Automakers Fear EU Safety, Emissions Rules Endanger Tariff Deal
The American Automotive Policy Council warned that draft changes to the EU’s Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) rules could block U.S. pickup trucks such as the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F‑150 and Ram 1500 from entering Europe, threatening the 2025 U.S.–EU tariff...
Amazon Launches First Logistics Hub In China
Amazon has opened its first smart warehouse in Shenzhen, branding it as a Global Warehousing and Distribution centre that promises up to a 45% cost reduction for Chinese merchants shipping to the United States. The hub consolidates storage, customs clearance,...
How the MV Estonia Disaster Reshaped Passenger Ship Safety
The 1994 sinking of the ro‑ro ferry MV Estonia, which claimed 852 of the 989 people aboard, exposed critical flaws in passenger‑ship stability assessments. The tragedy sparked a continent‑wide research effort and resulted in the Stockholm Agreement, obligating ferries to...
On the Up: ITA Airways Joins the Star Alliance but Will Growth Dilute Its Italian Identity?
ITA Airways officially joined the Star Alliance at a gala in Rome, cementing its partnership with the Lufthansa Group, which owns a 41% stake. The carrier reported its first full‑year net profit in 2025, €209 million (about $228 million), and has relaunched...
Renault Korea to Produce BEVs From 2028
Renault Korea announced that its Busan plant will begin local production of battery electric vehicles in 2028, following the launch of its first software-defined vehicle in 2027 equipped with AI‑based OpenR Panorama Level 2++ autonomy. The subsidiary plans to introduce a...
Toyota, Isuzu Agree to Co-Develop Hydrogen Fuel Cell Light Truck
Toyota Motor Corp. and Isuzu Motors have signed an agreement to co‑develop and mass‑produce a hydrogen fuel‑cell light‑truck based on Isuzu’s N‑series electric platform. The vehicle will use Toyota’s third‑generation fuel‑cell system and is targeted for commercial delivery use, where...
Executive Workshop: Modernising Supply Chains with AI
HSO is hosting a "Modernising Supply Chains with AI + Agents" executive workshop on 9 July 2026 at Microsoft’s London campus. The event targets supply‑chain and operations leaders who struggle to locate practical AI use cases—39 % of UK firms report this gap. Over a...
Indonesian Vehicle Sales Fall 14% in March
Indonesian vehicle sales fell 14% in March 2026, slipping to 61,271 units versus 71,099 a year earlier, largely due to the extended Eid holidays. Despite the dip, the first‑quarter market grew 2% to 209,021 units, driven by a surge in...
Germany: Stadler to Supply 14 TINA Trams to Görlitz & Zwickau
Stadler secured a contract to supply 14 low‑floor TINA trams—eight for Görlitz and six for Zwickau—with commissioning slated for 2028. The order expands the TINA platform to eight European cities, underscoring its growing market footprint. Each 30‑metre vehicle features fully...
FS Logistix Launches North-South ‘Smart Train’ Pilot
Italian state‑owned freight operator FS Logistix has launched a ‘smart train’ pilot on the 1,000‑kilometre Milan‑Catania corridor. Approximately 700 intermodal wagons have been fitted with PJM’s WaggonTracker, delivering live data on brake performance, load stability, train composition and derailment detection....
UK Could Face Gaps on Supermarket Shelves by Summer if Iran War Continues
UK ministers are preparing for a ‘reasonable worst‑case scenario’ as the Iran‑Israel conflict threatens to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, potentially disrupting carbon‑dioxide supplies essential for food processing. The government’s Exercise Turnstone, run by the Cobra emergency committee, includes...
A Railroad And Reservoirs
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad built a 3‑ft narrow‑gauge line through the Black Canyon in 1882, a risky venture that cost the equivalent of $5.26 million per mile today. The line spurred the rise of the rail town Cimarron,...
Middle East Conflict to Redesign Container Trade Flows
Container lines are rapidly reconfiguring routes to bypass Gulf chokepoints after the Middle East conflict escalated, according to Drewry analysis. Higher war‑risk insurance costs and volatile fuel prices are prompting carriers to seek alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, Bab...
Ford's Skunkworks EV Tech Will Make It Into Hybrids Too
Ford’s secretive skunkworks EV team is channeling its latest electric‑powertrain breakthroughs into the automaker’s upcoming hybrid lineup. By leveraging the low‑cost drive units developed for a forthcoming $30,000 mid‑size electric pickup, Ford aims to make its hybrids more efficient and...
Collect&Go Pilots Autonomous EV for Urban Grocery Deliveries
Collect&Go, in partnership with Telenet Business, has launched Belgium’s first pilot of an unmanned electric vehicle delivering groceries on public roads in Leuven. The vehicle, remotely operated over a dedicated 5G link and equipped with radar and cameras, will run...
The End of the Hormuz Bargain
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and large volumes of LNG, fertilizer and key feedstocks travel, is no longer a neutral corridor. Escalating Middle‑East tensions and unilateral toll demands have prompted many...
‘Rail Freight Should Not Doubt Its Importance’, Says Port of Rotterdam COO
The Port of Rotterdam’s COO, Berte Simons, reaffirmed rail freight’s strategic role and announced major investments to accelerate a modal shift from road and barge. A new railway yard, Maasvlakte Zuid, is scheduled for completion in 2027 to serve the...
"We Nearly Hit Them": American Airlines Pilot Slams Brakes To Avoid CLT Ops Truck
American Airlines pilots slammed the brakes on a taxiway at Charlotte Douglas International Airport after a ground operations truck cut directly in front of the aircraft. The near‑miss follows a spate of similar incidents, including a Frontier jet at LAX...
AGO to Expedite Auction of Seized Iranian Tanker in Batam
Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office announced it will accelerate the auction of an Iranian VLCC seized in 2023. The vessel, anchored in Batam’s Riau Islands, carries 1.2 million barrels of light crude oil worth about US$64 million. Two previous auctions failed to attract...
Wah Kwong Spins Off Dry Bulk Arm with 60-Ship Target
Hong Kong‑based Wah Kwong Maritime Transport has spun off its dry‑bulk operations into a new subsidiary, Wah Kwong Bulk. The unit will combine ship ownership and operation, targeting a fleet of 50‑60 vessels by 2030, including about 30 owned ships...
Wilhelmsen Debuts Vessel Lifecycle Specialist
Wilhelmsen Ship Management has launched Cyclus Marine, a dedicated vessel‑lifecycle specialist that consolidates newbuild supervision, dry‑docking, crew provisioning, retrofits, conversions and recycling under one brand. The company operates from Singapore, Hamburg, Kuala Lumpur and Athens, positioning itself at the heart...
Additional Black Spot Funding for QLD
The Australian Federal Government has pledged an additional AU$30.2 million (≈US$20 million) to Queensland’s Black Spot Program, earmarking funds for safety upgrades at 44 high‑risk locations. The program, part of a broader AU$150 million (≈US$99 million) annual national road‑safety budget, will finance intersection improvements,...
Easyjet Shares Grounded After Revealing £560m Hit From Iran War
EasyJet warned that it will post a pre‑tax loss of £540‑£560 million (about $700 million) for the first half of its financial year after the Iran‑Israel conflict drove fuel prices to record highs. The airline said a rushed purchase of 18% of...
Suzuki Breaks Ground on Laguna Facility Expansion
Japanese automaker Suzuki Philippines broke ground on a major expansion in Calamba, Laguna, investing roughly ₱900 million (about $16 million). The new integrated facility will house a parts warehouse, service training center, and corporate offices adjacent to its existing plant. Designed to...
Are Ships Evading the US Blockade of Iran Ports?
The U.S. Central Command announced a maritime blockade of all traffic to and from Iran ports on 13 April, turning back ten vessels with no break‑throughs in the first 52 hours. Iranian‑flagged ships such as Kashan, Golbon and the Comoros‑flagged Blue Sky 4 skirted...
Nissan Wants To Make 'Cool Cars' Again
Nissan announced a strategic push to rebuild a dedicated sports‑car lineup, extending beyond its current GT‑R and Z models. The move follows the recent unveiling of the Rogue E‑Power hybrid and a teaser for the Xterra nameplate. Executives, including global product...
Ford Creates New Product Organization to Speed EV Rollout and Software-Defined Vehicles
Ford announced a new Product Creation and Industrialization organization that unites its electric‑vehicle, software, and design teams with the global industrial system. Led by Kumar Galhotra, the unit aims to accelerate development, cut complexity and scale software‑defined vehicles across the lineup....
London Travel Disruption This Weekend: Full List of Tube and Train Closures for April 18-19 2026
London’s transport network will face extensive weekend disruptions on April 18‑19, 2026, due to planned closures rather than strikes. The District line will run no trains between Earls Court and Ealing Broadway, while the Piccadilly line will suspend service from...