The CEOs of European rail freight companies were joined in Copenhagen by high-Level representatives from the Danish Authorities, the European Commission, and industry leaders for a two-day strategic meeting hosted by DB Cargo and organised by the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the International Union of Railways (UIC). The event, held under the sponsorship of Danish MP Thomas Jensen in the Danish Parliament and featuring Mr Jacob Heinsen, Permanent Secretary of State of the Danish Ministry of Transport, brought together 70 participants to discuss the future of rail freight and its critical role in Europe’s economy, competitiveness and security.
Military Mobility as a strategic priority
Rail plays an essential role in military transport services and readiness by 2030, as acknowledged in the European Commission’s newly adopted military mobility package. Rail freight CEOs welcomed the communication as a milestone for civil-military cooperation. Their debate with representatives from NATO and the EU External Action Service touched upon the need for robust rail infrastructure, improved port and terminal connections, adequate rolling stock to ensure capacity, resilience and recovery preparedness, and faster authorisation processes. All sides agreed on the importance of cooperation and engagement of military and civilian authorities.
Enhanced rail freight services for clean industry
With guests including the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (CLECAT) and the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), the gathering provided a forum for rail freight CEOs to engage with counterparts from major industry and trade bodies of the sectors they serve, such as chemicals, steel and paper. Recalling the assessment of the Mario Draghi Report on the future of European competitiveness, participants underlined the need to sustain rail freight services, which are pivotal to these crucial EU sectors but facing increasing economic pressures. Certain segments such as single wagon load services are increasingly under threat. Rail freight operators reaffirmed their commitment to innovation, noting progress on technological advances such as Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) of freight trains, where real-world testing is ongoing under the PioDAC project. They called on decision makers to dive deeper into the challenges and opportunities of enhancing rail freight for the EU’s industry, trade, and security. (....)