Under the direct and indirect influence of the war in Ukraine, the Estonian group of companies Operail has reduced rail freight traffic from 3.6 million tonnes in 1H 2022 to 1.1 million tonnes this year. For comparison, the figure reached 6.6 million t from January to June 2021.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a draft agreement with the Romanian government to open a new international border crossing point across the Ukrainian-Romanian border in Zakarpattia region. This was reported by the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine.
Almost 9,700 wagons were waiting for unloading at Ukraine’s western land border crossing points as of August 16, up 1,300 wagons compared with July 26. In particular, as many as 2,287 wagons were standing loaded with grain (up 845 units compared with July 26)
About 8,400 wagons to be transferred to foreign operators were found waiting in the Ukrzaliznytsia rail network on August 17. In particular, 10 wagons had been loaded before June 1, while 1 wagon was loaded in June.
Valeriy Tkachev, Deputy Director of the Commercial Department of Ukrzaliznytsia, published the document “Tariff conditions for transit transportation through the territory of Moldova under a forwarding agreement” in the specialized telegram channel.
On August 11, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine submitted for ratification to the Verkhovna Rada a protocol between the CMU and the Government of the Republic of Moldova on amendments to the Agreement between the states on the regulation of border, customs and other official control measures.
On August 10, a freight train derailed in the Gotthard railway tunnel in Switzerland, blocking the tunnel. The 30-car train was traveling from Italy. It was received by SBB Cargo (Swiss Federal Railways) in Chiasso, on the Swiss border with Italy.
Track modernization work has begun on the Emmerich-Oberhausen railway line in northwestern Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia), so traffic will be restricted from August 19 to September 29. This line is a key section of the Rhine-Alpine corridor, connecting Germany with Arnhem in the Netherlands.
The Facchini 1 tunnel, a key section of the railroad that provides access for freight trains to the port of Genoa in northwestern Italy, has completed modernization work. The tunnel profile has been widened to allow four-meter trailers to travel by rail, which is one of the criteria for TEN-T corridors.
As many as 287 wagons were transferred daily through the Chop – Čierna nad Tisou land border crossing point from August 1 to August 17 (up 11 wagons compared with the period from August 1 to August 10).