Rail

German company DB Cargo, which operates in 18 European countries, is launching a major transformation of its logistics network in order to increase the efficiency and flexibility of rail freight transport. More than 60% of the company’s trains cross national borders, making DB Cargo a key player in the transport of raw materials, consumer goods and finished goods across the continent. To strengthen cross-border transport, the company is integrating 12 national units into a single decentralized network, in which operational decisions will be made closer to regional markets.

Ellerman City Liners has opened a new domestic rail connection between Lodz and Gdynia, enhancing the efficiency and reach of its Polish shortsea service iPEX. The project, implemented in partnership with Spedcont and Bahnoperator, is an important milestone in the development of intermodal transport in Poland and Northern Europe. The new line directly connects the Spedcont terminal in Lodz with the GCT container terminal in Gdynia, providing an end-to-end solution from rail to sea.

At the Kazakhstan Exporters Forum, KTZ Express presented a number of logistics initiatives aimed at strengthening the positions of domestic manufacturers abroad. The keynote speech was given by Managing Director for New Projects and Marketing Asem Mukhamediyeva, who noted that the company’s goal is to form a full-fledged logistics ecosystem, rather than disparate routes.

The growth of railway tariffs in Ukraine threatens not only the development of intermodal chains and terminals, but also the strategic goal of the state – containerization of cargo transportation. This was stated by the CEO of Levada Cargo Volodymyr Demenko, emphasizing that such changes could become a critical brake on the market and return shippers to road transport.

JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy reports stable growth in rail transportation between Kazakhstan and China: in January-May 2025, the volume of freight traffic reached 14.2 million tons, which is 11% higher than the same period last year.

The company Bahnoperator Czech s.r.o. is led by Martin Gráca(CEO), a logistics specialist with over 20 years in corporate and private-sector freight services.Bahnoperator group (via Bahnoperator Europe GmbH) has registered a new Czech subsidiary—Bahnoperator Czech s.r.o.- in Prague as of March 2025. The move aims to support the company’s expanding intermodal rail network between Central Europe, China and middle east counties in direct connection to control the whole transport chain by own resources or long-term partners in behind.

Rail Baltic Estonia has signed a contract with the Estonian company AllSpark OÜ for the design of a 16 km long Soodevahe–Muuga railway section that will connect the country’s main cargo port with the future European Rail Baltica mainline. The contract value is almost 2.9 million euros excluding VAT. The new section will be exclusively for freight traffic and will be the first direct connection of the port with a European standard railway line in Estonia.

The structure of rail freight transport in Poland continued to shift in 2024, with hard coal losing its leading position both in transported volume and transport work.

With freight volumes growing and CO₂ emissions becoming increasingly important, Akiem and Lineas are expanding their partnership to support the transition from road to rail. According to ADEME, trucks account for around 10% of CO₂ emissions in Europe and 13% in France. With transport volumes projected to grow by 30% by 2030, the development of rail infrastructure is critical to reducing environmental impacts and road congestion.

Eurostar has announced a major investment of €2 billion to buy up to 50 new trains, scheduled to enter service by the early 2030s. The fleet renewal will pave the way for three new international routes: London-Frankfurt, London-Geneva and Amsterdam/Brussels-Geneva.