The Spanish Alonso Group has acquired a majority stake in the Madrid-based rail company Compañía Europea Ferroviaria (Cefsa). This strategic investment strengthens the group’s position in rail transport on the Iberian Peninsula.
In January 2025, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) recorded an increase in cargo transportation volumes in all segments. The largest increase was demonstrated by the transportation of dry cargo – 180,506 tons against 60,196 tons a year earlier, which corresponds to an increase of 200.65%.
On February 10, the first direct freight train to Afghanistan departed from Chongqing, which will arrive in the city of Hairatan, passing through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The train is carrying 55 containers with communications equipment from the Chinese company ZTE, intended for the construction of telecommunications infrastructure in Afghanistan. The travel time will be from 12 to 15 days, and the key border crossing point on the Chinese border will be Khorgos.
At the terminal in Neuss, Contargo officially opened the charging infrastructure for electric trucks. As part of the project, up to 90 charging points with intelligent energy management and battery storage will be installed at 15 sites. This will be the largest private network of charging stations for electric vehicles in Germany. 22 stations with a capacity of 250 kW are already in operation at seven sites, and eight new charging points have been put into operation in Neuss.
The Ukrainian government is actively working on integrating logistics systems with the European Union, said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The key areas are transport liberalization, modernization of border infrastructure, and joint customs control. Particular attention is paid to the “visa-free transport” that exempts Ukrainian carriers from obtaining permits to enter the EU, as well as the development of digital solutions, such as the eCherga system, which is already operating at 28 checkpoints.
The new China-Europe-Express (CEX) service has been launched at JadeWeserPort, providing a direct sea connection between the Chinese port of Ningbo and Wilhelmshaven. The transit time is only 26 days, making this route the fastest direct connection between China and Northern Europe.
ELL Germany and 4PL Central Station have signed a new five-year cooperation agreement in the field of spare parts logistics for ELL’s locomotive fleet throughout Europe. The agreement includes the opening of a new warehouse near Vienna, which will complement the existing hub in Kassel, thereby reducing delivery times and transport costs.
From February 4 to 8, 2025, General Director of KTZ Express JSC D.M. Kozhakhmetov paid a working visit to Pakistan, where he held talks with the country’s largest transport and logistics companies and representatives of the Ministry of Commerce. The discussions focused on the development of the Trans-Afghan Corridor, which opens up new export opportunities for the countries of South Asia and the Middle East.
DB Cargo has started regular operation of freight trains up to 835 metres long on the route between Maschen marshalling yard (Germany) and Malmö Godsban (Sweden). The new transport format, launched with the 2024/2025 timetable change, enables freight volumes on this route to be increased by 13% compared to standard-length trains (up to 740 metres), while maintaining the same costs for locomotives and drivers.
Spanish government blocks foreign takeover efforts, fearing moving of production outside of Spain.
