The European Commission has submitted a proposal to introduce a rail gauge of 1435 mm for all member states in Europe. This is to reduce the restrictions on rail transport between countries.
TEN- T
The EU's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy aims to build an effective, EU-wide and multimodal transport network across the EU. It includes railways, inland waterways, short sea shipping routes and roads connected to cities, maritime and inland ports, airports and terminals.
War in Ukraine
The proposal submitted last December is being amended. It is now proposed to extend four TEN-T transport corridors to key transport hubs in Ukraine and Moldova. The war has highlighted the importance of supply chains and food security, which in turn has put the spotlight on rail links. The problems on the border with Ukraine have also highlighted the lack of interoperability of the rail network, which makes the EU vulnerable.
Countries with different track gauges
Within the European Union, Ireland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain must draw up a plan to be included in the nine existing corridors of the trans-European transport network with a European standard of 1435 mm.
Expanding the European network
The European Commission has proposed extending the North Sea-Baltic Corridor to the port city of Mariopol. The Baltic Sea-Adriatic Corridor and the Rhine-Danube Corridor should both extend from the Slovak-Ukrainian border to Lviv. The Baltic Sea-Black Sea/Egean Corridor runs from Romanian Bucharest to the port city of Odessa via Moldova.
In addition, the commission wants to extend the so-called solidarity lanes for the transport of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural goods by rail. According to the European Commissioner for Transport, extending the four European transport corridors to the territory of Ukraine and Moldova will improve transport connectivity between these two countries and the EU. These corridors will be a top priority for rebuilding Ukraine's transport infrastructure once the war is over.
Current situation rail transport Silk Road to China
Rail transport between Europe and China is almost unabated. The current transit time to and from China is only 14 - 19 days. According to a fixed timetable, goods trains run daily from Tilburg to destinations throughout Europe and China. MOL Logistics has a product specialist for rail transport. Check here to the possibilities for this environmentally friendly alternative.
Sources: NT.nl, Railfreight.com, ec.europ.eu Photo: ec.europ.eu
ENGELS 
NEDERLANDS