From 2025, French rail giant SNCF will split its freight arm SNCF Fret into two companies as part of a restructuring agreed with the European Commission. The new companies — rail operator Hexafret and service company Technis — will continue to operate under the SNCF Rail Logistics Europe division, which will avoid the return of €5.3 billion, classified by the regulator as illegal state aid.
Aviator Airport Alliance, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group and operating at 15 airports in Northern Europe, has announced the merger of its two subsidiaries, Aviator Airport Partner ApS (AAP) and Copenhagen Flight Services ApS (CFS). The merger into a single entity based at Copenhagen Airport is scheduled to take effect on 1 March 2025 and is supported by local and group management to strengthen the company’s position in Copenhagen while providing stability for employees and customers.
During Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to France, JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and the French company ALSTOM Transport SA signed an agreement on the production of a new freight electric locomotive in Kazakhstan. The document provides for the production of the KZ6A model with asynchronous traction motors at the Astana plant, which will replace the outdated VL-80 locomotives.
The Italian government has approved funding of €206.8 million for the first phase of a container terminal in the port of Trieste, which will be able to handle up to 1.6 million TEU. The total cost of the project is approximately €315 million, with the remaining funds to be provided by investors in a public-private partnership. The new transshipment facilities will be created at the Piattaforma Logistica Trieste (PLT) terminal, part of which has been owned by the German company HHLA since 2021.
The Hapag-Lloyd container ship Hamburg Express was christened at the Burchardkai Container Terminal in Hamburg. The ceremony was conducted by Eva Maria Tschentscher. The vessel is one of the largest in the world, along with its eleven sister ships, with a length of 400 metres and a capacity of 23,660 standard containers.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the establishment of the Azerbaijan Transport and Communications Holding (AZCON), which will unite the country’s key transport enterprises. The created structure, which is a legal entity of public law, was transferred the management of Azerbaijan Railways, the Caspian Shipping Company, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, the Baku Shipyard and other state-owned companies.
DB Cargo continues to successfully deliver chemical products for BASF, transporting between the company’s plants in Ludwigshafen and Schwarzheide. Two years ago, DB Cargo developed an innovative shuttle concept specifically for BASF, which combines flexibility and reliability. The contract was recently extended for another two years, underlining the success and demand for this logistics scheme.
A. P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) has inaugurated the Philippines’ largest Maersk Optimus distribution center in Calamba, Laguna, covering an area of 10 hectares. The ceremony was attended by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Secretary of Trade and Industry Cristina A. Roque. The new center will be Maersk’s flagship facility in the Philippines and an important logistics hub for the Southern Luzon region.
Heidelberg Materials France has been working hard for many years to implement sustainable transport solutions, supporting its decarbonization goals by using river and rail transport. Lineas is an important partner, providing reliable and high-quality rail transport that meets the requirements of Heidelberg Materials France, especially for deliveries to the Paris Basin.
JSC Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (LKZ) has successfully delivered 451 freight, 83 passenger and 19 shunting locomotives to KTZ-Freight Transportation LLC and plans to deliver another 128 freight and 11 passenger locomotives by 2027. Locomotives of the TE33A, TE33AS, TEP33A and TEM11 series are manufactured under supply and maintenance agreements, and are also repaired jointly with Kamkor Locomotive LLC at eight sites across Kazakhstan.
