China - Slovakia - China pilot train on track
A test train, operated by Russia-based Trans Container, is already on its way back from Slovakia to China. On 15 September 2019 the train was dispatched from Xian (Xinzhu station) and passed through Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine until it arrived 14 days later in Slovakia.... more
Financial injection for Poland’s rail infrastructure
The European Commission has adopted two major cohesion policy projects to improve the Polish rail network. Both projects should be operational as of January 2023. Almost EUR 838 million will be invested to upgrade a 214.5-km section of rail connections between Śląskie and... more
Switzerland: 95% of the cargo will stay on the rails
With customers and cantonal authorities, SBB Cargo has verified more than half of the 344 service points for Swiss-wide wagonload traffic, which currently shows a deficit. In this survey, the company explored and defined possible alternatives to a fixed daily operation.... more
Ghent: Twelve new rail hinterland destinations launched
In Belgium, a new rail connection between Interface Terminal Ghent and the Lineas Main Hub in Antwerp is now operational. It offers twelve new rail connections from North Sea Port in Ghent to the European hinterland in nine countries. Goods are unloaded and loaded at the... more
Italian forwarder offers new groupage services
Transmec is strengthening its connections between Italy and Germany with new groupage services to and from Tuscany. First to be launched was a twice-weekly link between Prato, near Florence, and Stuttgart, while a second route between Prato and Frankfurt began recently. Run... more
Improving traffic flow between Mombasa and Nairobi
The African Development Bank Group has approved loans of EUR 209 million to fund the expansion of a highway that links major economic hubs in Kenya. The five-year project will convert the 84 km Kenol–Sagana–Marua road in central and eastern Kenya from a two-way single... more
Boosting intermodal trade with new containers
By the end of this year, US transport company YRC and US class I railway BNSF will have taken aboard more than 600 branded intermodal containers. These new containers are part of the YRC commitment to acquire 1,000 branded intermodal containers by the end of 2020. Most of... more
More shuttles between Alsace and Rotterdam
The Alsace Rotterdam Express has increased its frequency to four round trips a week between the Dutch port of Rotterdam and Strasbourg/Kehl (France/Germany). The train is an initiative of the C3C partnership between Danser Group, Haeger & Schmidt Logistics and Ultra-Brag.... more
Spain: One in every five driver positions remains unfilled
A survey conducted by the International Road Union (IRU) among 202 truck, bus and coach companies from Spain, revealed that the current shortfall of drivers stands at 20%. This data mirrors a broader survey that IRU conducted throughout Europe in March 2019, which showed a... more
Global railway industry bucks the trend
The business climate of the international railway industry remains on a high level in Q3/2019 quarter and is even registering a slight increase compared to Q2/2019. This is shown by the current SCI rail business index – a regular survey which the consultancy SCI Verkehr conducts... more