Rhine-Alpine News
13.04.2021
New night train planned to connect Brussels, Amsterdam with Central Europe
Photo: RegioJet
New plans for a night train service with relation to the Rhine-Alpine corridor were published these days: “European Sleeper”, a newly-launched company based in the Netherlands, has announced an international overnight service between Brussels and Prague via Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Hanover, Berlin and Dresden, from spring 2022. European Sleeper is currently looking for capital. It has partnered with Czech operator RegioJet, which will provide the majority of the rolling stock. RegioJet is already active in international night train operation.
The route at first appears somewhat odd, starting north from Brussels and going south from Berlin. However, this results in a number of attractive cities covered at either end, connected by a straight overnight route.
Read more details here (external link).
Cinea officially starts operations
On 1 April 2021, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) officially started its operations. As the successor of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), and merging programmes and staff from the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), the new Agency will continue to manage ongoing projects, while being entrusted with the management of new EU programmes worth over €50 billion for the 2021-2027 period. Here is the Commission’s implementing decision (external link), with the scope of the new agency outlined in Article 6. It will include important funding sources for the TEN-T network.
Port of Antwerp to double share of rail freight
Rail transport (c)Port of Antwerp
The Port of Antwerp plans to double the share of cargo that moves in and out of the port by rail. This means to ease out some bottlenecks and to improve services. It has teamed up with Infrabel, the Belgium national rail infrastructure operator. Details are elaborated in a recent video here (external link).
Rhine-Alpine Talks on 16 April: “Inland navigation”
We kindly invite you to the “Rhine-Alpine Talks” #8 on 16 April 2021, 11am – 12.30pm. It will deal with the topic “The Unlocked Potential of Inland Navigation to Green Rhine-Alpine Corridor”.