Clarkson paints sceptical picture of shipping in 2019 
Research undertaken by London-headquartered Clarkson revealed that the growth rate of the demand for world maritime transport rose by 2.7% to 11.9 billion t in 2018, compared to 4.2% in 2017. The ton per mile (tpm) growth, though, remains at an acceptable 3.1%. However, the... more
Rune Dybedal to chair NSOCC
North P&I Club’s Rune Dybedal has been appointed chairman of the North Sea Operators' Claims Conference (NSOCC). Dybedal, a Norwegian qualified attorney, has worked as an attorney and senior claims executive at North for 19 years and more than 26 years in the industry.... more
Port of Hamburg gets direct link to Singen terminal
Eurogate Intermodal (EGIM) has introduced a new direct rail connection between the port of Hamburg and the Singen terminal in Baden-Württemberg. The terminal is a road/rail cargo hub serving southern Germany with a focus on the Lake Constance area, Austria’s Voralberg region and... more
“Curiosity of the Day” 
There are some 20 million songs on Spotify, but 4 million of them have not been streamed yet. more
Eiltrans to augment Night Star Express network
The joint venture Night Star Express Hellmann & Honold is to buy the overnight express business of the German company Eiltrans Nachtverteilerservice. Norbert Rödel, the owner of Eiltrans, is retiring after the sale. Night Star Express will take over the locations in... more
ITF against cartels
The International Transport Forum has published a report in which it presents its arguments against extending the EU’s cartel law exemption for shipping alliances. more
Grain and metals drive up rail transport volumes
On Russian Railways’ owned network, 1.29 billion t of freight were transported in 2018, 2.2% more than in 2017. Grain volumes rose sharply by 22.6% to 27.1 million t, ferrous metal jumped by 7% to 78.1 million t, and iron and manganese ores increased by 5.7% to 116.7 million... more
Slower growth in China’s railway market
Although China’s railway technology market will remain at a high level over the next five years, it will only grow by 0.6% per annum. Following high, heavily subsidised investments in new rail vehicles in 2018 and 2020, the OEM market will actually decline after 2020.... more
John Pearson joins DHL corporate board
The new CEO of DHL Express, John Pearson, is expecting continued positive developments for the global express market and the company, thanks to booming cross-border e-commerce and digitalisation. A board member since 1 January 2019, Pearson, who has been instrumental for DHL... more
Triest's 300th anniversary to spread over 2019
Trieste was granted free port status by the German Emperor Charles VI on 18 March 1719. In the following three centuries, the Italian port played a fundamental role in trade relations between the Old World and the Orient. The decision of Charles VI and his successor,... more