A delegation of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) headed by Chairman Rovshan Rustamov visited Iran to assess the state of the railway infrastructure in Julfa. One of the key issues was the construction of a railway bridge across the Araz River, which will connect Nakhchivan with the mainland of Azerbaijan via Iran. In addition, ADY representatives got acquainted with the work of the wheel pair replacement workshop in Julfa.
From January to November 2024, Ukrzaliznytsia transported 160.9 million tons of cargo, which is 19.4% (or 26.2 million tons) more than in the same period of 2023. In export traffic, the volumes amounted to 77.46 million tons, showing an increase of 56.9% (+28.09 million tons). Among the key categories, grain cargo took the leading position: 36.66 million tons were transported over 11 months, of which 31.43 million tons were exported.
The Czech railway infrastructure operator Správa železnic (SŽ) has completed construction and opened a new 316-metre-long bridge near the Orlická Dam on the Vltava River, near Červená nad Vltavou. The new bridge, called the Schwarzenberg Bridge, is part of the single-track Tabor-Písek line, replacing the old steel bridge from 1889, which, due to its poor condition, limited the movement of passenger trains and did not allow freight trains to pass through.
Over 236 million tons of cargo were transported on the railway network of Kazakhstan in January-November 2024. Domestic transportation amounted to 154 million tons, an increase of 1% compared to the previous year, and 82 million tons were exported.
State-owned enterprise AS Operail has sold its entire business, including its subsidiary Operail Repairs OÜ, to the Estonian company AS Tiigi Keskus for 19 million euros. The privatization was prompted by a sharp decline in freight traffic on the railway due to sanctions, as well as changes in the country’s strategy. Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Svet emphasized that freight traffic is not a strategically important task for the state, and the transfer of the business to private investors will allow it to focus on other priorities.
Lithuanian rail freight operator LTG Cargo, part of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (LTG), has signed a contract to purchase 200 gondola cars from Ukrainian company TAS Dneprvagonmash. The deal is valued at EUR 12.7 million and is aimed at strengthening the company’s position in the construction materials transportation segment.
German Train Drivers’ Union claims the company is “driven unchecked into the wall”.
The Polish Development Fund (PFR) has offered to buy out shares of the Spanish company Talgo, which specializes in the production of rolling stock for high-speed railways. The deal will be fully financed by PFR. Talgo’s main shareholder, Pegaso International, has long been considering exiting this investment.
On Sunday, December 15, the renovated Riedbahn railway section between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim will open in Germany. The first to travel along the new track will be a freight train. The number of trains on the line will gradually increase, and by December 23, the section will be fully operational. Companies located along the route are already receiving freight along the renovated tracks.
This infrastructure is part of the broader Križevci–Koprivnica–state border project, which includes reconstructing existing tracks and building a second track to increase capacity and connectivity.
