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Rail freight is incredibly important. Whether it is helping to remove lorries off the roads and drastically reducing congestion, or transporting goods that we consume every day, all countries rely on rail freight to provide a faster, greener, safer and more efficient way of transporting goods than via road or air.
Our rail freight content focuses on the biggest trends and developments in helping advance cargo movement by rail and create a modal shift.
Founded in 2011 by 15 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from across the parliamentary committees, Rail Forum Europe (RFE) is an international non-profit association that brings together EU decision-makers and the rail sector to achieve a better understanding of rail-related issues. RFE is currently supported by 20 full member…
26 September 2013 | By Paul Mazataud, Managing Director, Rail Freight Corridor 2 and Deputy Head of Development, RFF
By 10 November 2013, six of the nine rail freight corridors initially foreseen by the EU Regulation 913/2010 concerning a European network for competitive freight will become operational. Rail Freight Corridor 2 (RFC2) is one of them. These corridors are extremely ambitious and will lead to major changes for international…
1 August 2013 | By Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Federal Office of Transport (FOT), Switzerland
One of the principal aims of Swiss transport policy is to transfer transalpine freight traffic from road to rail. This is why Switzerland has built the new flat-bed rail tunnels through the Alps and introduced a road charge for heavy goods vehicles. In order to further support this development, the…
23 May 2013 | By Jens Ole Kaslund, Ringsted–Fehmarn Project Director, Banedanmark
The upgrading of the Ringsted–Fehmarn Line is one of Banedanmark’s largest ever projects. Together with the fixed link across the Fehmarn Belt and other major Danish infrastructure projects such as the Copenhagen–Ringsted Line, this is a massive scheme for both rail freight and passenger traffic.
23 May 2013 | By Ahti Asmann, Chairman of the Management Board – General Director, AS Eesti Raudtee
The railway in Estonia has been expected to keep up with many requirements over its 142-year history, during which time there have been many key events and rapid developments – through wars, shifts of governments and regimes, development of technology, privatisation and re-nationalisation – the railway has worked at its…
26 February 2013 | By James Abbott, Technical Editor
A new study by consultancy firm Bain & Company into the European rail freight sector has revealed some truly shocking statistics. The report found that over a five-year period (2007-2011), the main state operators in mainland Europe – Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and Spain – accumulated net…
8 June 2012 | By Elisabeth Enger, Director General, Jernbaneverket
Since the beginning of 2012, three important reports on Norwegian railways have been issued in quick succession. First was the major high-speed study, followed by Jernbaneverket’s concept study for expansion of the InterCity network in eastern Norway. Subsequently, the central government agencies for sea, air, road and rail transport tabled…
8 June 2012 | By Uģis Magonis, President, Latvian Railways
Latvian Railways (LDz) has been a leading Baltic freight transport company for the last few years. Considering the increase in Latvian Railways’ main freight groups – coal and oil products – and to keep up with growing demand, Latvian Railways is now seeking opportunities to develop infrastructure in the fastest…
6 December 2011 | By Dave Curtis, General Manager at Freightliner Maintenance Ltd (FML)
Freightliner Maintenance Ltd (FML) is Freightliner Group’s dedicated in-house maintenance operation. As it continues on its course of expansion, FML has reinstated an out-of-use and run-down engineering facility in York. Maintenance of locomotives and rolling stock is a core necessity to any successful rail operator. A high level of availability…
28 April 2011 | By Freightliner
Freightliner Limited has signed a new multi-million pound contract with Maersk Line, the world’s largest shipping line...
6 April 2011 | By Ulrich Weidmann, Professor for Transport Systems and Stephan Moll, PhD Student, Institute of Transport Planning and Systems, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Rail freight transportation in Europe is a challenging business, characterised by low margins and high fixed costs. In this context, an efficient and effective use of production resources, such as locomotives, freight wagons or engine drivers, is a fundamental requirement for the financial success of freight railways.
15 February 2011 | By Alex Kremer, CEO, CFL
Strategically placed in the centre of Europe, Luxembourg’s railway network attracts, through the combined efforts of CFL and its freight subsidiaries CFL cargo and CFL Multimodal, important quantities of both passenger and freight traffic. Concerning freight transport, Luxembourg was no stranger to the effects the financial crisis had on the…
1 February 2011 | By SNCB Logistics S.A.
SNCB Logistics has become operational as an autonomous company and rail operator to run freight trains in Belgium and in neighbouring countries...
10 December 2010 | By Paul Plummer, Planning and Development Director, Network Rail
An effective way of transporting goods across the country is by rail freight, and this is vital to Britain’s economy. Not only does it provide a faster, greener, safer and more efficient way of transporting heavy loads than roads, it is responsible for moving over 100 million tonnes of goods…
10 December 2010 | By Dave Curtis, General Manager, Freightliner Maintenance Ltd
Freightliner Maintenance Ltd (FML) faced significant challenges to turn an abandoned freight terminal into a fully-functioning railport for a customer running liquid products. In an interview for Global Railway Review, Dave Curtis, General Manager of FML, explains the work involved with this important project and also the success so far…
