VDV and BME Rail Freight Forum: Promoting rail transport with perseverance and imagination

The transport and logistics industry started the new year with positive momentum at the traditional 18th BME/VDV Rail Freight Forum in Berlin – despite the current recession and cost increases for using the railway lines. VDV Vice President Joachim Berends told CARGO FREIGHT JOURNAL: “When it comes to the railway, we must not think in short time frames when it comes to the approval of new infrastructure, financing, and maintaining the existing network. And that was the topic here.”

BALM: slight upturn in freight transport until 2026

The German Federal Office for Mobility and Logistics (BALM) has published its moving medium-term forecast for the development of freight transport from 2024 to 2026. The basis is assumptions about geopolitical and economic developments. The authors are employees of Intraplan Consult, the client is the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).

15th VPI Symposium: Rail infrastructure needs reliability in renovation

The 15th VPI Symposium of the Association of Freight Wagon Owners in Germany took place in Hamburg on January 14, 2025. VPI Chairman Malte Lawrenz described the poor condition of the railway infrastructure as the “biggest pain point in the industry”. In front of the 250 participants, the VPI chairman named other key areas of action: securing innovation funding for projects such as ETCS and DAK, reforming the track pricing system, separating InfraGo from the DB Group, securing single wagon traffic and strengthening combined transport.

German freight transport: With “KV AKUT” against toll pain

As of December 1, 2023, the toll for trucks on Germany’s motorways and federal highways was almost doubled. This is a significant burden on the road freight transport industry. But the “SHIFT 2030” initiative has the right “medicine” ready: KV Akut! The medication package says: “KV acute” with the “combined transport (KV) active ingredient” has a threefold effect: against toll complaints, against a lack of drivers and to inhibit CO2 – “daily use recommended”…

ELL puts up to 200 additional SIEMENS Vectron locomotives into service

The European Locomotive Leasing Group (ELL) is entering the last month of 2023 with a bang. On November 30, the Vienna-based company signed a framework agreement with Siemens Mobility (Munich) for the delivery of up to 200 additional Vectron locomotives. Locomotives will be procured in various power system configurations that can be used in both passenger and freight transport.

Alpha Trains: New CEO, new managing director of locomotives

Alpha Trains, Europe’s leading locomotive and passenger train leasing company, has a new managing director for its locomotive division. Vincent Pouyet will take up his new role on December 1, 2023. He succeeds Fernando Pérez, who was promoted to CEO of Alpha Trains Group in July 2023.

CFJ AND r&m: THE NEW MAGAZINES ARE HERE

New issues of our B2B magazines rail & mobility and CARGO FREIGHT JOURNAL are being published to coincide with the transport logistic 2023 trade fair in Munich. The magazines can be ordered digitally or as a print edition from: editeur@rail-mobility.eu and editor@cargo-journal.eu Comments and cooperation are very welcome!

ZEDAS logistics software supports effective logistics processes

How do I plan and monitor my shunting trips effectively? How do I always keep an overview of the current wagon locations, delivery and collection orders? These and other tasks are solved by the zedas®cargo software from ZEDAS Ltd, based in Senftenberg in Brandenburg/Germany. The company will provide information about this at their ZEDAS Summit 2023 on March 16th and 17th, in webinars, and also at the transport logistic trade fair in Munich on May 9th-12th.