Railways and the Russia-Ukraine war – Page 4
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NewsLTG Cargo Ukraine reopens to offer freight routes via Poland
UKRAINE: The LTG Cargo Ukraine subsidiary of Lithuania’s national railway has restarted its activities, noting that there has been a significant increase in demand for the export of grain and other products from Ukraine. LTG Cargo Ukraine temporarily suspended operations in March following the Russian invasion. ...
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NewsEBRD financing to keep Ukrainian trains moving
UKRAINE: The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development has signed an agreement repurposing €50m of a previously-agreed infrastructure enhancement loan to provide urgent liquidity to enable national railway Ukrzaliznytsia to keep essential services running following the Russian invasion. EBRD originally agreed to lend €150m to for ...
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NewsUkrainian standard gauge railway plan
UKRAINE: Announcing a range of infrastructure and regulatory measures to more closely integrate Ukraine with EU transport networks, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine would begin phased construction of railway tracks to European standards. This would start with hubs and large cities, and then gradually expand ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail sends tools to Ukraine
UKRAINE: British infrastructure manager Network Rail and its supply chain partners have donated four vehicles loaded with railway spares and tools including generators, drills, jacks and cutting equipment to Ukraine’s national railway Ukrzaliznytsia, which issued an appeal for help through the International Union of Railways following ...
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NewsCall for rail sector to mobilise to get Ukrainian agricultural exports moving
EUROPE: Rail has a central role in the European Commission’s plan to establish ‘Solidarity Lanes’ for the transport of Ukrainian agricultural exports which would normally use the Black Sea ports that are being blockaded by Russia.
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NewsSiemens to exit the Russian market
SIEMENS: Siemens AG announced on May 12 that it is to exit the Russian market as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. The company said it had begun proceedings to wind down its industrial operations and all industrial business activities, in line with regulatory requirements ...
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NewsBusiness opportunities as Rail Baltica looks 150 years ahead
EUROPE: ‘What will this look like in 150 years?’ is a question being asked by Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail, which sees the greenfield construction project as offering opportunities to take a very long-term view of where rail technology is heading, and to apply best ...
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NewsTrans-Caspian rail and sea freight route to Europe launched
INTERNATIONAL: Nurminen Logistics’ first full-length container service from China to central Europe via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route left Chongqing on May 10. The containers will travel by rail through Kazakhstan to the port of Aktau, across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and then by rail ...
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Metro Report InternationalKyiv Metro seeks European help as it rejoins UITP
UKRAINE: Kyiv Metropoliten needs help from the western European transport industry to modernise its technology and operating practices, despite the conflict with Russia, the municipal transport operator’s Head of Metro Viktor Braginskyi told the IT-Trans conference in Karlsruhe on May 10. Reflecting on his experience of ...
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In depthComment: A force for good
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sadly reiterated the role that railways have played in armed conflict for more than 150 years. Nevertheless, the industry has rallied round to support both the Ukrainian railway sector and the people affected by the war, reflecting rail’s overwhelming influence as a force for good in modern society.
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NewsFinland’s VR begins terminating Russian rail freight contracts
EUROPE: Finland’s national train operator VR Group has begun the process of terminating its Russian cross-border freight contracts, with traffic expected to cease completely by the end of the year at the latest, and it is also looking to sell or liquidate its Russian freight joint ...
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NewsLithuania rethinks freight flows to bypass Belarus
EUROPE: Lithuania’s national freight operator LTG Cargo has sent a pilot container train to Ukraine via Poland, avoiding Belarus because of that country’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. LTG Cargo said the return working would be the first time in its history that freight ...
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NewsWar and cost increases delay Dutch electrification scheme
NETHERLANDS: ProRail has cancelled a tender for electrification of the Maaslijn between Nijmegen and Roermond, saying the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the increasing cost of materials and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the supply chain had forced it to reconsider its approach to upgrading ...
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NewsInvasion of Ukraine ‘has increased the geopolitical relevance of Rail Baltica’
EUROPE: ‘The Russian invasion of Ukraine reaffirms the need to connect the Baltic states to the rest of Europe’, said Catherine Trautmann, the European Commission’s co-ordinator for the North Sea – Baltic TEN-T corridor, on April 13, when Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail set out ...
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NewsEU accelerates funding for military transport projects
EUROPE: The European Commission has brought forward the awarding of EU grants to co-fund projects to support military mobility, explaining that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has increased the urgency of making Europe’s transport infrastructure fit for dual civilian and defence use. The first Military Mobility ...
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Rail Business UKUK industry sends humanitarian aid to Ukraine by rail
EUROPE: Cross-industry voluntary initiative UK Rail for Ukraine has sent more than 1 500 tonnes of donated aid including non-perishable food, hygiene and medical products to Ukraine by rail. The train departed from DB Cargo UK’s site at Barking in London on the morning of April ...
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NewsShipping group buys Russian Railways’ automotive logistics business
FRANCE: Marseille-based shipping conglomerate CMA CGM has acquired almost 100% of automotive and contract logistics specialist Gefco.
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News‘Controlled’ end to Finland – Russia rail freight traffic
FINLAND: National operator VR Group is to discontinue rail freight traffic with Russia ‘in a controlled manner’, the railway’s board decided on April 6. VR said it aimed to run down traffic as quickly as possible, although it expected that the process would take several months. ...
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NewsVR Group President & CEO removed
FINLAND: The board of state rail operator VR Group dismissed Lauri Sipponen as President & Chief Executive on April 4, just seven months into the job. Director of Passenger Operations Topi Simola has taken temporary charge while VR Group looks for a new CEO. No reason ...
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NewsUkraine to nationalise Russian-owned rolling stock
UKRAINE: National railway Ukrzaliznytsia has begun the process of nationalising Russian-owned rolling stock in the country. The announcement came after the President of Ukraine signed a law setting out principles for the seizure of Russian property following the invasion. Ukrzaliznytsia is drawing up a list of ...