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☆ Europe's sleeper train network is expanding. Can it go the distance?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a century, sleeper trains have provided a way for everyone, from budget backpackers to royals, to get around Europe. Mounting cost issues led several big operators — such as Germany's Deutsche Bahn — to scrap them over the last decade. Hopes are now building that the night train is heading in a new direction. Large operators like Austria's ÖBB have also committed to their night train products, rolling out modern carriages with improved amenities. So, are sleeper trains back on track?

Organizations: Deutsche Bahn Locations: Europe, Brussels, Berlin

"This would be the nail in the coffin for Huawei in Europe," said Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight. China has asked for Huawei to be one of the main points on the agenda, one of the sources familiar with the matter said. Germany's China hawks expressed outrage in March when a Reuters story revealed that German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn was using Huawei gear to digitalise its operations. Berlin in 2021 passed a law setting high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for the "critical components" of 5G networks. It is estimated it would cost billions of euros to rip out and replace Huawei equipment in European countries, potentially burdening telecom companies already sitting on huge debts.

Persons: Paolo Pescatore, Andrew Small, Mikko Huotari, Sweden's, Sarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke, Supantha Mukherjee, Foo Yun Chee, Sergio Goncalves, Mark Potter Organizations: European, Huawei, Deutsche Telekom, Foresight, Deutsche Bahn, Mercator Institute for China Studies, Telecom, Nokia, Sweden's Ericsson, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, STOCKHOLM, Germany, Brussels, Berlin, Beijing, Europe, China, China's, Denmark, Portugal, West, U.S, Stockholm, Lisbon

☆ Strikes cripple German rail network, four airports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The walkout, organised by the EVG union, was due to run from 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) to 11 a.m, though the train network was expected to be impacted for the whole day. State-owned Deutsche Bahn said all its long-distance connections would be cancelled until 1 p.m. and that few commuter trains would run. Deutsche Bahn has offered 5% and one-off payments of up to 2,500 euros. Friday's transport strike was set to coincide with a walkout at four German airports - Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne Bonn and Stuttgart - by members of the Verdi union. ($1 = 0.9118 euros)Writing by Rachel More, Editing by Friederike Heine and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) - British transport company FirstGroup (FGP.L) and infrastructure fund I Squared are weighing competing bids for parts of Deutsche Bahn's international transport business Arriva, according to a number of people familiar with the matter. The British transport company may also consider partnering with another bidder for the UK operations, the two added. Arriva, Deutsche Bahn, FirstGroup and I Squared declined to comment. A Bloomberg report in January suggested Arriva may now fetch as much as 2 billion euros. Binding offers for Arriva are expected in the next couple of months, two of the sources said.

☆ Three German airports empty as transport strikes begin
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, April 20 (Reuters) - Airports in Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Cologne Bonn were virtually empty on Thursday in the first of another round of strikes called by Germany's Verdi trade union over the cost of living crisis. Nearly 100,000 people will be affected by aviation security worker strikes on Thursday and Friday at the three airports, airport association ADV said, with around 700 departing flights to be cancelled. "The situation in the terminals today is the same as previous Verdi strikes this year: departure terminals are empty, the situation is calm," a Hamburg airport spokesperson said in a statement. Germany's EVG union has also called for a nationwide transport strike on Friday, with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn among the companies impacted. The strike will affect 50 companies and run from 3 a.m. until 11 a.m. (0100 GMT-0900 GMT), with significant disruption expected, the railway and transport union said.

☆ German union announces nationwide transport strike for Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Germany's EVG union announced on Wednesday a nationwide transport strike for Friday, with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn among the companies impacted. The strike will affect 50 companies and run from 3 am (0100 GMT) until 11 am (0900 GMT), the railway and transport union said. The Verdi union has also called on security control workers to strike at three airports on Thursday and Friday. The EVG, which is negotiating on behalf of 230,000 workers, is seeking a 12 % wage increase or at least an additional 650 euros per month. The state-owned Deutsche Bahn has offered 5% more and one-off payments of up to 2,500 euros.

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, March 27 (Reuters) - A massive strike in Germany was set to begin early Monday, crippling mass transport and airports in one of the biggest walkouts in decades as Europe's largest economy reels from soaring inflation. But officials in Germany have made clear that their fight is only about pay. The Verdi union is negotiating on behalf of around 2.5 million employees in the public sector, including in public transport and at airports. Railway and transport union EVG negotiates for around 230,000 employees at railway operator Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL) and bus companies. Employers are also warning that higher wages for transport workers would result in higher fares and taxes to make up the difference.

Two of Germany's largest airports, Munich and Frankfurt, suspended flights, while long-distance rail services were cancelled by rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL). "Millions of passengers who depend on buses and trains are suffering from this excessive, exaggerated strike," a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson said on Monday. At the same time, in France they go on strike all the time about something," said passenger Lars Boehm. The head of the Bundesbank Joachim Nagel said last week Germany needed to avoid a price-wage spiral. "Despite signs of second-round effects, we have not observed a destabilising price-wage spiral in Germany so far."

[1/5] A general view inside the Munich Airport during a strike called by the German trade union Verdi over a wage dispute, in Munich, Germany, March 26, 2023. "The people are not only underpaid, they are hopelessly overworked," Frank Werneke, head of the Verdi labour union, told Bild am Sonntag. The Verdi union is negotiating on behalf of around 2.5 million employees in the public sector, including in public transport and at airports. Railway and transport union EVG negotiates for around 230,000 employees at Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL) and bus companies. "It is a matter of survival for many thousands of employees to get a considerable pay rise," he said.

The Verdi union is negotiating on behalf of around 2.5 million employees in the public sector, including in public transport and at airports. Railway and transport union EVG negotiates for around 230,000 employees at Deutsche Bahn (DBN.UL) and bus companies. Verdi has called on around 120,000 employees in the transport and infrastructure sectors, including ground and air traffic service providers, shipping, motorways and municipal ports, to join the strikes. We want a negotiable offer," said Martin Burkert, the chairman of the EVG union, which represents workers at 50 transport companies, including railway operator Deutsche Bahn. German airport association ADV also condemned the strikes expected to hit around 380,000 air travellers on Monday as all airports across Germany, except Berlin, would come to a virtual standstill.

A DB spokesperson told Reuters that under current IT security legislation it did not have to run network components by Germany's cybersecurity office, the BSI, unlike public telecoms network operators. A BSI spokesperson said it was not aware of any law that determined the DB IT systems as "critical components". A Huawei spokesperson said the firm would never harm any nation or individual. The December contract with Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, is for Huawei tech like switches and routers. A government source said it had detected some operators had already built in Huawei critical components without waiting for a BSI green light and could be required to replace those.

☆ Europe is trying to move from planes to trains. Here's how that's going
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Aviation emissions in Europe increased an average of 5% year-on-year between 2013 and 2019, according to the EU. Not surprisingly these moves have set alarm bells ringing in the aviation industry. “For many decision-makers, banning short-haul flights and showing support to the rail industry is an easy win to gain favor with the public, especially in Europe,” Montserrat Barriga, the ERA’s director general, told CNN. “Governments continue ignoring the biggest source of aviation emissions – long-haul flights, that remain unpriced and unregulated,” says T&E’s Dardenne. Better connectivity between intercity rail and airports would also reduce the need for short-haul flights.

☆ Logistics Giant Kuehne + Nagel Seeks Expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Kuehne + Nagel CEO Stefan Paul. Photo: Kuehne + NagelAs a forwarder, Kuehne + Nagel helps companies move freight around the world by ocean, air and land and is a dominant player in the automotive, industrial, retail, aerospace, healthcare and high-tech industries. What do you see as potential growth areas for Kuehne + Nagel in the contract logistics space? Does that make it easier for a company like Kuehne + Nagel to jump in? How would that affect Kuehne + Nagel?

This is causing flight delays and cancellations. We regret the inconvenience this is causing our passengers,” Lufthansa said on Twitter. Lufthansa owns carriers Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Swiss. In a separate statement on its website, Lufthansa recommended that passengers in Frankfurt avoid traveling to the city’s airport. Passengers with domestic flights can switch to Deutsche Bahn — Germany’s national rail service — for free until Sunday, the airline added.

☆ Two killed in knife attack on German train - authorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Forensic experts stand next to a train on which an incident involving a knife attack took place, at a railway station in Brokstedt, Germany, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBERLIN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Two people were killed and several others injured in a knife attack on Wednesday on a regional train travelling between Kiel and Hamburg in northern Germany, authorities said. Earlier, the Bild newspaper had said five people were injured in the attack. Police were investigating at the train station in Brokstedt, the German railway Deutsche Bahn said on Twitter, adding some services between the two cities had been cancelled. "Federal and state police are working closely together on investigating this case," state interior minister Sabine Suettelin-Waack said in a statement.

☆ Exclusive: Deutsche Bahn will not start Schenker sale before Q3/Q4 next year - document
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Markus Wacket | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A sale should only take place if it is financially advantageous," state-owned Deutsche Bahn said. The proceeds of the sale should remain entirely within the Deutsche Bahn group and contribute to reducing debt, it said. The sale has been on the cards for a while and aims to allow Deutsche Bahn to focus on its core business. Deutsche Bahn expects Schenker's operating profit to drop to about 1.2 billion euros next year, down from 2.1 billion euros in 2022, the document said, while Deutsche Bahn would post a loss of about 2 billion euros next year. Earlier, Manager Magazin reported that the DHL subsidiary of Deutsche Post (DPWGn.DE) was interested in buying Schenker.

☆ Deutsche Bahn supervisory board approves preparations for Schenker sale
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The supervisory board of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has instructed the company's management to prepare for the possible sale of up to 100% of its Schenker logistics unit, the state-owned company said on Thursday. "The concrete start of a sales process and manner of any sale will be decided at a later date," said Deutsche Bahn, adding that the proceeds of a sale should remain entirely within the Deutsche Bahn group and contribute to reducing debt. Writing by Madeline Chambers, editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Deutsche Post eyes takeover of Deutsche Bahn's Schenker - Manager Magazin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Deutsche Post (DPWGn.DE) subsidiary DHL is interested in buying Schenker, the logistics subsidiary of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn [RIC:RIC:DBN.UL], Manager Magazin reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report said Schenker could be sold at a price well below 20 billion euros due to a slowdown in the logistics sector. A spokesperson for Deutsche Post would not comment on the report. Deutsche Bahn also declined to comment on the report. Reporting by Matthias Inverardi and Markus Wacket; Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Madeline ChambersOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn declined to comment. Schenker, which provides logistics for sea, land and air freight, recently accounted for more than a third of Deutsche Bahn's sales. "The cash flows generated as part of a sale remain entirely within the Deutsche Bahn Group," the proposal document continues. Tough financing conditions could also lead to a decision not to sell, particularly if Deutsche Bahn is not satisfied with price, two sources said. Private equity would struggle to finance such an amount unless Deutsche Bahn decided to part with a minority stake instead, this source added.

☆ German architect von Gerkan, who designed Berlin airport, dies at 87
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Meinhard von Gerkan, one of Germany's most famous architects who designed Berlin's Tegel Airport and the capital's main railway station, has died at age 87, his office said on Thursday. A year after graduating from his architecture studies in 1964, von Gerkan founded a partnership with Volkwin Marg, which survives under the name "von Gerkan, Marg und Partner" (gmp). Von Gerkan also designed Berlin's main railway station, which is near the chancellery and within sight of the Reichstag parliament's glass cupola, though he fell out with rail operator Deutsche Bahn, which he said mutilated his design. Von Gerkan said Deutsche Bahn had made the underground hall look like a supermarket when it should have been an undulating, cathedral-like space. In 2008, Bahn and von Gerkan settled their dispute, with the rail operator paying an undisclosed sum to a foundation set up by the architect's office.

☆ DeepL, a hot AI translation startup pioneered by a former Googler, is closing in on a round above $100 million led by Netflix-backer IVP near a $1 billion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Translation startup DeepL is closing in on a new funding round led by US giant IVP, sources say. DeepL previously sold a portion of its business to US investor Benchmark. Like Google Translate, DeepL offers a free translation service powered by artificial intelligence. A small test run by Insider indicates that DeepL is, at least in some cases, more intuitive than Google. DeepL previously sold a 13.6% portion of its business to US fund Benchmark and Btov Partners in 2018, according to reporting by Slator.

Suspected sabotage on the German rail network and on the Baltic Sea gas pipelines linking Germany and Russia in recent weeks have raised concerns about the country's exposure to attacks. "We have strengthened the police's work at sea," Faeser said. "Police are patrolling at sea with all their available forces and ships to also protect maritime infrastructure." Now the ministry wants to make some requirements legally binding and will present key points for a new law this year, ahead of schedule, Faeser said. Germany is also rushing to improve its preparedness for catastrophes, both manmade and natural, Faeser said, a task the country has long neglected.

☆ German economy minister: 'concrete threat' to critical infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Attacks on critical infrastructure are high on the German government's agenda after suspected sabotage on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Wednesday. The pipeline leaks were "a deliberately inflicted event that is so strategic and so difficult to carry off that it could not have been a private actor", Habeck told reporters in Berlin. Recent politically-motivated attacks on Deutsche Bahn railway infrastructure in Germany also showed a "concrete threat scenario", he added. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Rachel More, editing by Thomas EscrittOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thousands of UK bus drivers plan strikes over pay - union
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An Arriva bus makes its way down a narrow street near Wouldham, Britain, December 20, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin CoombsLONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Thousands of bus drivers in London and the neighbouring county of Kent plan to strike in a dispute over pay, the Unite union said, threatening further disruption to a transport system already facing walkouts by railway workers early next month. More than 2,000 drivers at bus operator Arriva will strike from Oct. 4 in London, Unite said on Wednesday, while 600 Kent-based staff employed by the same company will walk out on Sept. 30. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterUnite said the strike by London bus drivers would run continuously until the dispute was resolved. "Arriva has totally failed to address the strength of feeling among our members as they see their rates of pay eroded.

☆ Ghana to sign $3.2 billion railway project deal with Thelo DB consortium
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, July 19 (Reuters) - Ghana's government will sign an agreement next week with Thelo DB consortium for a $3.2 billion project to develop and make operational its Western Railway Line, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Thelo DB is a South African railway entity incorporated between Thelo Ventures, an African industrial company, and Germany's Deutsche Bahn Engineering & Consulting (DB). The Thelo DB consortium also includes Ghanaian partner Transtech Consult. Transportation of cement, mining equipment and petroleum will also benefit from construction of the rail line, the ministry added. "The Western Railway Line Project will transform Ghana's existing railway infrastructure base into a modern, robust and integrated railway system," Thelo DB said in its statement.

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