Europe

In the first nine months of 2025, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges handled 202.6 million tonnes of seaborne cargo, a 3.8% decrease compared to the same period last year. Dry and liquid bulk cargo accounted for the main decline (-12.8%), while total cargo throughput, including containers, RoRo, and general cargo, increased by 1.3%. After a robust first half of the year, container volumes began to decline in August due to the end of the transition period for old shipping alliances. Nevertheless, container traffic demonstrated moderate growth over the first nine months: tonnage increased by 1.1%, and TEU by 1.6%.

Kuehne+Nagel announced the launch of a new cost reduction program of over CHF 200 million per year. These measures are aimed at improving the company’s operational efficiency amid excess capacity and margin pressure. These savings will be achieved through process optimization, automation, and expanded use of shared service centers.

DP World is investing £170 million in state-of-the-art container handling technology at its London Gateway logistics hub. The project will be a key step in the digitalization and automation of port operations, delivering significant efficiency and environmental benefits to the terminal.

Northrail has founded a new subsidiary, Northrail Polska Sp. z o.o., based in Warsaw, as part of its strategy to expand its footprint in Central and Eastern Europe.

In September, FS Logistix took over the Antwerp-Milan rail route, previously operated by Lineas. The new service operates five times a week and reduces road transport by approximately 13,000 trucks per year, reducing road congestion and CO₂ emissions.

The infrastructure division of DB InfraGO will invest over €4 billion in a major upgrade of the Bavarian railway network in 2026. As part of the program, the company plans to renew 500 kilometers of track and over 200 switches to improve service reliability and reduce disruptions on regional and interregional routes.

Hitachi Rail will provide technical support for the maintenance of signalling systems on the Sofia–Plovdiv–Svilengrad corridor, reinforcing one of Bulgaria’s most strategic rail routes.

A meeting between representatives of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the Rail Baltica project’s implementing organizations took place in Vilnius. Following the talks, project coordinator RB Rail AS signed a new grant agreement for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program in the amount of €295.5 million. The funds will be used to continue construction and technical work in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: €47.1 million to Estonia, €153.5 million to Latvia, and €94.9 million to Lithuania.

Finnish logistics company Nurminen Logistics is launching a new direct rail freight service between Parma, Italy, and Sweden.

From January to September 2025, the ports of Riga, Liepaja, and Ventspils handled a combined 23.9 million tonnes of cargo. The Port of Riga remains the leader in volume with 12.3 million tonnes, followed by Ventspils with 6.5 million tonnes and Liepaja with 5.1 million tonnes. In September, cargo turnover at the Port of Riga increased by 12% compared to August, reaching 1.56 million tonnes, but for the first nine months of the year, it decreased by 6.6% compared to the previous year. The main categories of cargo are containerized cargo, agricultural products, and timber.