Kazakhstan is stepping up the development of maritime infrastructure: a document aimed at implementing the Comprehensive Development Plan for 2024-2028 has been signed. It defines key areas of cooperation in modernizing the country’s transport and logistics network and pays special attention to expanding the capabilities of the Kuryk port.
The state railway company Latvijas dzelzceļš has announced an open tender for the design and construction work on the modernisation of nine passenger stations on the Riga–Lugaži–state border line. The work will cover the stations of Inčukalns, Eglupe, Sigulda, Līgatne, Ieriki, Lode, Valmiera, Strenči and Valka. It is planned to build new platforms, update the track infrastructure, create amenities for passengers with limited mobility and improve pedestrian areas and lighting. Applications will be accepted until 20 May 2025.
In the first quarter of 2025, China demonstrated a confident strengthening of its position in the field of railway logistics, especially in the directions of Central Asia. The number of freight trains sent to the countries of the region increased by 25.5%, reaching 3,582 trains. A special event was the opening of a new regular route: on April 8, the first train X9011 departed from Wuhan to Tashkent, delivering 1,640 tons of steel, tiles and household appliances in 10 days. Hubei is actively increasing the export of auto components, electronics and agricultural products.
La Spezia Container Terminal (LSCT) has become the first Italian port of call on the new AE11/SE2 Asia-Mediterranean route launched by the partnership between Maersk Line and Hapag-Lloyd (Gemini Network). On April 10, the Liberian-flagged MV Maersk Camden arrived at the port, starting the new regular service to China. This is an important step in the development of La Spezia’s role as a key logistics hub in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea.
The Permanent Secretariat of the IGC TRACECA and representatives of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, implemented by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), held a working meeting dedicated to strengthening partnership in the field of transport and logistics. The dialogue was a continuation of the technical consultations held on April 4, 2025 in Baku as part of the discussion of the CAREC 2 corridor development strategy.
With increasing attention to environmental sustainability and logistics efficiency, more and more Italian companies are starting to switch from traditional road transport to combined freight transport – using both road and rail transport. This approach allows for the optimization of the logistics chain, reduction of CO₂ emissions and cost savings, especially when transporting large volumes of cargo over long distances.
Ukraine and Moldova are considering the possibility of restoring the ferry crossing between Yampol and Koseutsk. This project could become an important element of infrastructure cooperation between the two countries and provide the shortest route from central Ukraine to the countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe, bypassing the temporarily occupied Transnistria.
Kent Foods, one of Europe’s leading food ingredients suppliers, has secured a £20m+ contract with DP World for a new logistics centre at London Gateway Logistics Park. The company has secured a 14,000 sq m lease for 10 years to store products arriving via the high-tech container port for onward delivery across the UK by rail and road.
The Eurasian Economic Commission and the Executive Committee of the CIS Coordination Transport Conference are preparing to sign a strategic plan for cooperation in the field of transport, logistics and international transport corridors until 2030. This was announced by the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the EEC Arzybek Kozhoshev at the International Economic Forum of the CIS countries.
2024 was one of the most challenging years for ÖBB Rail Cargo Group: the economic downturn, increased competition from road transport and the devastating autumn floods dealt a serious blow to the business. Although the company managed to maintain financial stability in the first half of the year, the flooding of key railway lines in Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary led to large-scale disruptions and significant losses.
