Europe

voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH and ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) have received funding from the Austrian Ministry of Climate, Environment and Technology (BMK) to implement a pilot project for the digitalization of rail logistics at the Donawitz plant. The project aims to optimize the supply chain and process management, including the implementation of innovative data collection systems and the creation of interfaces to integrate all participants.

Správa železnic (Czech Republic) and ÖBB-Infrastruktur (Austria) have signed an agreement on joint work to assess the potential for developing cross-border traffic between Prague, České Budějovice and Linz as a high-capacity corridor. The study will focus on analysing the passenger and freight transport market at the regional, European and international levels.

Deutsche Bahn Cargo CEO Sigrid Nikutta has announced a major restructuring of the company, aimed at creating specialized units and significantly reducing costs. The decision comes after DB found a buyer for its logistics division, which was the catalyst for the restructuring of the freight operator DB Cargo into a logistics company.

Ukrzaliznytsia and Polish State Railways have agreed to develop intermodal routes between Asia and Europe. During the InnoTrans 2024 exhibition in Berlin, representatives of both countries discussed increasing the capacity of border crossings and expanding railway infrastructure to improve freight transport.

Lemtrans has completed the first stage of construction and opened the Container Terminal Vinnytsia (CTV) in Ukraine. As part of this stage, new infrastructure was built: railways were laid, a container platform for 2,000 TEU was equipped, and a warehouse with an area of ​​3.5 thousand square meters was erected. The terminal occupies 8 hectares and can handle up to 30 thousand TEU per year.

China has started using the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) to transport trucks. On July 3, the first convoy of 26 trucks was loaded onto the ferry ship “Mercury-1” in the port of Kuryk, Kazakhstan. The ferry belongs to the ASCO maritime transport fleet and has already arrived in Azerbaijan.

Administration of the seaports of Szczecin and Świnujście S.A. signed an agreement on co-financing the project “Construction of a multimodal railway transshipment hub on the Ostrow Grabowski Peninsula in the Port of Szczecin” (MULTIRAILHUB). The project received funding under the CEF Transport competition: Adaptation of the TEN-T network for dual civil and defense use. The total cost of the project is 8.7 million euros, of which 4.3 million euros will be covered by the grant. The start of the project is scheduled for June 2024, completion is planned for November 2026.

DP World’s expansion in Romania signals a significant stride in bolstering the nation’s role as a pivotal hub for European trade. With a €65 million investment, two new facilities have been unveiled in Constanta, the largest container port on the Black Sea. These include a 5-hectare cargo terminal catering to heavy, large, and complex cargo, along with a ‘roll-on, roll-off’ terminal capable of handling up to 80,000 vehicles annually. Additionally, a €50 million multi-transport platform is slated to open in Constanta by 2025. Another €21 million investment has resulted in the establishment of an 8-hectare intermodal logistics hub in Aiud, fortifying connectivity between rail and road networks.

MBOX Terminals DOO, a Serbian terminal operator, and Kombiverkehr KG, based in Frankfurt, have initiated a collaboration to enhance the link between Niš in Serbia and Wels in Austria. Susana Jozinovic, Sales Representative Southeastern at Kombiverkehr KG, highlights the strategic significance of integrating the Niš terminal into their European network, positioning themselves for further expansion across southeastern Europe. Leveraging Niš’s central location and its proximity to pan-European transport corridor 10, the partnership aims to offer enhanced intermodal transport solutions to their customers.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges introduced a groundbreaking innovation: the Methatug, a tugboat powered by methanol, heralding a significant step forward in the port’s quest to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The Methatug, financed through the European research program Horizon 2020 and a flagship project within the FASTWATER initiative, exemplifies the port’s dedication to exploring sustainable fuel alternatives for the shipping sector.