Railways and the Russia-Ukraine war
Business news about railways and the Russia-Ukraine war.
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In depthFinland: Standard gauge rail links are on the agenda
Reflecting pressure from NATO and the EU to improve interoperability, Finland’s Minister of Transport Lulu Ranne has announced studies for standard gauge lines in northern Finland, with the priority being a link to Tornio on the Swedish border. Benjámin Zelki investigates.
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NewsUkraine’s standard gauge ‘iron link’ to the EU opens
UKRAINE: Standard gauge trains from the EU can now run directly to the city of Uzhhorod, following the opening of a 1 435 mm gauge track from Chop near the Slovakian and Hungarian borders.
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NewsLTG Cargo Ukraine pivots to rolling stock leasing services
UKRAINE: The LTG Cargo Ukraine subsidiary of the Lithuanian national railway’s freight division is changing its business model from September, and will now focus on leasing services rather than freight forwarding.
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NewsUkrainian Railways to order next-generation coaches
UKRAINE: National railway Ukrzaliznytsia is planning to order a new generation of coaches offering greater comfort, longer intervals between overhauls and a longer service life.
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NewsAllegro trainsets to return to service as Pendolino Plus
FINLAND: National operator VR is to return to traffic four Alstom Sm6 trainsets that were used on the Helsinki – St Petersburg Allegro service until it ceased operating following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The seven-car dual-voltage trainsets were operated by the Karelian Trains 50:50 joint ...
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NewsHeavy duty wagons ordered for military transport in the Arctic
EUROPE: Finland’s VR FleetCare has won an international tender to design and build wagons for the transport of tanks and other heavy military equipment in Arctic conditions. The order placed by Norwegian rail infrastructure manager Bane Nor on December 20 on behalf of the Norwegian and ...
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NewsEBRD loan for Ukrainian electric loco order
UKRAINE: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development is lending €300m to finance the acquisition of electric locomotives by national railway Ukrzaliznytsia. The latest EBRD loan announced on December 18 will be co-financed by a parallel grant of up to US$190m from the USA, administered by ...
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NewsNew owner seeks to kick-start growth as Estonian rail freight privatisation completed
ESTONIA: New owner Tiigi Keskus plans to expand the activities of privatised rail freight operator Operail, with management board member Richard Tomingas saying ‘at first glance, it seems that we must kick-start container transport’. He predicted that ‘looking to the future, the importance of rail will ...
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In depthInterview: Ukrainian Railways looks for more international partnerships
Ukrainian national railway Ukrzaliznytsia is looking for international help to boost rail freight traffic, and for assistance in funding major projects including 1435 mm gauge lines, as Board Member Yevhen Liashchenko* explains to Benjámin Zelki.
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News‘We keep moving, we keep restoring’, says Chief Executive of Ukraine’s national railway
UKRAINE: Amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, national railway Ukrzaliznytsia is focusing on maintaining services and supporting its staff, CEO Yevhen Liashchenko tells Railway Gazette International.
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NewsSanctions stop Chinese locomotive deliveries to Belarus
BELARUS: Chinese manufacturer CRRC Datong has decided not to deliver 15 BKG2 electric locos ordered by Belarus Railway. The decision is a result of sanctions imposed by the US and EU in response to the Belarusian government’s support for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The BKG2 ...
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NewsUkraine signs EU railway harmonisation support agreement
UKRAINE: A further step towards the technical harmonisation of the railway systems of Ukraine and the European Union has been taken with the signing of an administrative arrangement by the Ministry of Communities, Territories & Infrastructure Development and the EU Agency for Railways. ERA will provide ...
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NewsLithuanian operator pulls out of broad gauge wagon sharing agreement
LITHUANIA: LTG Cargo is to withdraw from the CIS Railway Council agreement for the shared use of wagons across the 1 520 mm gauge region, and will instead use a private fleet from January 1 2025. The national operator’s freight business aims to provide 90% of ...
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NewsChina postpones delivery of electric locos to Belarus
BELARUS: Chinese manufacturer CRRC Datong has postponed the delivery of 15 BKG2 single-section AC electric freight locomotives to Belarus Railway, citing the use of western components now subject to EU and US sanctions on Belarus. The BKG2 is derived from the domestic HXD2 locomotive design. This ...
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NewsUkrainian grain wagons made with domestic components
UKRAINE: The Karpaty wagon factory has developed five models of grain hopper wagon using newly-sourced domestically produced components. This will enable wagon production to continue despite the loss of the Azovstal and Azovmash plants in Mariupol as a result of Russia’s full scale invasion. Last year ...
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NewsRomanian terminal opens to streamline Ukrainian grain exports
ROMANIA: Private freight operator Grampet Group has opened what it says is Europe’s biggest grain transhipment terminal, at Dornești near the northern border with Ukraine. The terminal has been developed under a public-private partnership with Grampet providing €10m. It enables simultaneous transhipment between eight Ukrainian 1 ...
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Metro Report InternationalDnipro seeks feedback on wartime metro construction
UKRAINE: Dnipro Metro is aiming to restart an extension project which was suspended when the contractor pulled out following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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NewsLithuanian train operator to replace Russian safety system
LITHUANIA: National train operator LTG Group has awarded SRPA Impulse a contract to replace its Russian KLUB-U cab signalling equipment. ‘We are accelerating our plans and aiming to move away from the Russian KLUB-U locomotive safety system as soon as possible to ensure the use of ...
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Rail Business UKUK rail industry supports Ukrainian railway workers
UKRAINE: Nearly 7 500 food parcels have been delivered to Ukrainian railway employees and their families using £106 000 raised by UK industry association Rail Partners. The packages include oil, sugar, flour, salt, pasta, rice, corn and wheat cereals, canned fish and meat, pate, tea and ...
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NewsKlaipėda – Kyiv rail freight plan
EUROPE: Lithuania’s national train operator LTG Group and Ukrainian Railways have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an intermodal freight service from the Baltic port of Klaipėda to Kyiv via Poland. Test runs are planned for this year, ahead of regular services. ‘We see Ukraine and ...