Rail

PSA Antwerp and Combinant Rail Terminal have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an integrated logistics service aimed at optimising the connection between PSA’s deepwater terminals and Combinant’s rail terminal in the Port of Antwerp. The project will reduce the use of road transport in favour of rail transport, improving intermodal solutions and increasing the sustainability of transport between the port and hinterland. The new service will connect PSA’s terminals with Combinant’s terminal, which in turn will provide access to important logistics hubs in Europe via a rail connection to Duisburg.

Polish national passenger transport operator PKP Intercity has signed three contracts with PKP Intercity subsidiary Remtrak worth a total of around PLN 1.5 billion (EUR 346 million) to modernise 150 carriages. The work will include upgrading 133 first and second class carriages, which will be fitted with new seats, sockets for charging devices, air conditioning, passenger information systems and fire safety systems. In addition, windows, doors and lighting are planned to be replaced.

On November 24, Azerbaijan and China celebrated a historic moment: for the first time, an export cargo was sent from Baku to China by rail. This event marks a new stage in the development of economic and transport ties between the countries, emphasizing the strategic importance of Azerbaijan in international transportation. In addition to the transit and import of goods from China through the Middle Corridor, sending export cargo from Azerbaijan to China significantly increases the efficiency of this route. The rapid development of the Middle Corridor contributes to the increase in cargo transportation volumes both to the east and to the west.

In Estonia, work continues to refine the route of Rail Baltica, the largest railway project in the region. Last week, the public discussion stage of the updated plan for the section in the south of Pärnu County ended. Meetings with local residents were held in Uulu, Kilingi-Nõmme and Pärnu. Although there was less interest from citizens, experts believe that this is due to the fact that most questions had already been answered in previous stages.

The development of the transport and logistics industry was discussed at a meeting of the government of Kazakhstan. Vice Minister of Transport Maksat Kaliakparov reported that there are 13 international transport corridors in the country, and active work is underway to eliminate infrastructure constraints. Among the priorities are the development of new routes, digitalization of processes and increasing the capacity of key areas, such as the TITR and the North-South corridor, which will be able to handle up to 20 million tons of cargo by 2030.

The European Coordinator of the North-Baltic TEN-T Corridor, Katrin Trotman, paid a working visit to Riga. The main topic of discussion was the implementation of the Rail Baltica project in Latvia, including the development of the cross-border connection within the first stage. At a meeting with Latvian ministers, Trotman noted that the project has successfully attracted European funding: within the latest Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2023 call, Rail Baltica received approximately €1.43 billion, of which €1.16 billion was provided by the CEF and €261 million by the three Baltic States.

From January to October 2024, Ukrainian railway transported 146.94 million tons of cargo, which is 26.4 million tons (+21.9%) more than in the same period last year. In October, transportation volumes reached 15.06 million tons, an increase of 8.8% compared to September and 10.9% (+1.48 million tons) compared to October 2023.

The Rail Baltica project has moved to the next stage: Rail Baltic Estonia has signed a contract with INF Infra for the construction of an 8.65-kilometre section of the main route between Kangrū and Saku in Harju County. The section will pass through the Männiku Bog, where special attention will be paid to environmental protection, and will also include pedestrian and cyclist facilities, such as the Kivitee cycling bridge and the Saunanyi tunnel.

Wabtec will provide JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) with a digital KinetiX system based on artificial intelligence technologies free of charge. The new solution will allow online diagnostics of the rolling stock condition, reducing risks associated with the human factor and increasing the safety and efficiency of transportation.

Testing took place over two months on routes including York to Manchester Airport and Leeds to Liverpool Lime Street.