Karel Novak

Karel Novak

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Karel has more than 25 years of experience in news and press media. For many years he was Editor in Chief of Newsroom of Czech National TV Broadcast. As Head of Strategy, Karel is responsible for overal coordination of newsroom team and general content of Railmarket News.
Business

"Iron People" opens at Vienna Hbf

Vienna Central Station is hosting "Iron People", a photo exhibition documenting the resilience of Ukrainian railway workers during four years of war.

February 24, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

CPK launches bid for airport rail node supervision

Poland’s Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has launched a tender to appoint a contract engineer for the first construction package of the airport-area railway node, part of the Warsaw–Łódź high-speed corridor. Bids are open until 9 March.

February 21, 2026 · 2 min read
Freight Rail

Hupac names first female CEO

Hupac Group has appointed Britta Weber as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking a leadership transition at one of Europe’s key intermodal operators.

February 19, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

VR lifts profits by 53% in 2025

Finnish rail operator VR significantly improved profitability in 2025, with comparable EBIT rising by more than 53% year-on-year, supported by strong long-distance demand and a recovery in rail logistics. Revenue remained broadly stable on a comparable basis despite contract expiries.

February 18, 2026 · 4 min read
Freight Rail

Kazakhstan–Estonia rail flows double

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and Estonian Railways are stepping up cooperation to strengthen freight corridors between Central Asia and Europe, with rail volumes between the two countries more than doubling in 2025.

February 18, 2026 · 2 min read
Freight Rail

DB Cargo boosts capacity at Győr hub

DB Cargo and DB Cargo Hungária have expanded the Győr terminal in western Hungary, increasing maintenance capacity and strengthening support for automotive and industrial freight flows in Central and Eastern Europe.

February 18, 2026 · 2 min read
Freight Rail

Verona–Duisburg: RCG boosts frequencies

ÖBB Rail Cargo Group relocates its Verona–Germany TransFER from Wuppertal to Duisburg and increases weekly roundtrips from six to ten, strengthening intermodal flows between Italy and Germany.

February 18, 2026 · 2 min read
Passenger Rail

DB expands security after fatal attack

Deutsche Bahn will equip all customer-facing employees with bodycams from 2026 as part of a nationwide rail safety action plan agreed with federal and state authorities following a fatal attack on a DB employee.

February 16, 2026 · 4 min read
Business

ČD accelerates old fleet phase-out

České dráhy is accelerating the phase-out of legacy rolling stock as part of the largest fleet renewal programme in the country’s history, with hundreds of older vehicles being scrapped or sold.

February 13, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

Poland links new airport to high-speed rail jobs

Poland’s Port Polska programme is expected to create thousands of rail jobs alongside the development of a new national airport and high-speed rail network. The project aims to strengthen long-distance rail demand and workforce capacity across Central Europe.

February 9, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

Stadler board nominations signal shift in governance

Stadler has nominated two new candidates for election to its Board of Directors at the 2026 Annual General Meeting. The move is part of a planned generational transition aimed at strengthening industrial, mobility and international project expertise at board level.

February 9, 2026 · 2 min read
Infrastructure

Sabotage hits Italian rail near Bologna

Suspected sabotage incidents disrupted rail traffic around Bologna, one of Italy’s key rail hubs, causing major delays across high-speed, intercity and regional services. Authorities linked the events to coordinated infrastructure damage on the first full day of the Winter Olympic Games.

February 9, 2026 · 3 min read
Infrastructure

Germany launches two major corridor overhauls

DB InfraGO has launched two major corridor renewal programmes in western and southern Germany, covering routes between Hagen–Cologne and Nuremberg–Regensburg. The works are part of Germany’s wider strategy to stabilise heavily used passenger and freight corridors.

February 9, 2026 · 3 min read
Business

DSB signs mega deal for driverless S-Bahn trains

DSB has signed a major framework agreement with Siemens Mobility and Stadler for up to 326 fully automated S-Bahn trains for Copenhagen. The project will support capacity growth and full network automation in the 2030s.

February 9, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

New board chair named at Lithuanian company LTG

Lithuania’s state-owned rail group LTG Group has appointed Robertas Vyšniauskas as Chair of the Board. The move comes as the company advances major infrastructure and freight-related projects.

February 5, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

PLK and Alstom sign four-year switch contract

Alstom has signed a four-year agreement with Poland’s infrastructure manager PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe to maintain and overhaul electric point machines across the national network. The contract covers nearly 3,500 units, with an option for a further 800.

February 5, 2026 · 2 min read
Passenger Rail

Fleet renewal lifts ČD passenger ratings

Passenger satisfaction at České dráhy increased again in 2025, driven mainly by fleet modernisation and service improvements. Data from the operator’s mobile app show a steady upward trend in customer ratings.

February 5, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

VTG sells tank container fleet to Streem

Streem Group has acquired the tank container fleet of VTG with effect from 1 February 2026. The assets will be managed under the Eurotainer and Raffles Lease brands.

February 4, 2026 · 1 min read
Infrastructure

HS2 Starts Tunnelling to Central London

HS2 has begun tunnelling towards central London as the first tunnel boring machine started work on the 4.5-mile Euston Tunnel from Old Oak Common. The tunnel is the final deep-bore section on the high-speed route between London and Birmingham.

February 3, 2026 · 2 min read
Infrastructure

Czechia Boosts Rail Investment to €2.9bn

Czechia plans to invest a record €2.9 billion in its rail network this year, targeting maintenance, electrification and major capacity projects. The funding is aimed at improving daily operations and accelerating key corridor upgrades.

February 3, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

Poland’s Rail Freight Hits Lowest Level Since 2012

Poland’s rail freight sector recorded its weakest performance in more than a decade in 2025, while passenger traffic reached a 30-year high. New data from the national rail regulator highlight diverging trends between freight and passenger markets.

February 2, 2026 · 2 min read
Rolling Stock

First GoA2 Train Service Begins in Switzerland

Switzerland has launched its first semi-automated rail operation (GoA2) on the Waldenburg railway line, following approval from the federal transport authority. The system is based on a new digital train control solution supplied by Stadler.

January 31, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

Alstom Delivers 100th ERTMS Train in Norway

Norway has reached a milestone in its nationwide ERTMS rollout with the upgrade of the 100th train to digital signalling. The programme is part of a broader plan to equip more than 350 vehicles across the national fleet.

January 30, 2026 · 2 min read
Infrastructure

ÖBB Reopens Key Corridor with New Bridge

Rail traffic has resumed on one of Austria’s busiest rail sections after ÖBB completed the replacement of the Rauchmühl Bridge near Innsbruck. Around 270 trains per day are returning to the route between Hall in Tirol and Innsbruck main station.

January 30, 2026 · 2 min read
Infrastructure

Next Phase Starts on Styrian West Railway

Austria has launched the second phase of the modernisation and electrification of the Styrian West Railway, following completion of the first section in 2025. The 91 km route between Graz and Köflach and towards Wies-Eibiswald is to be fully electrified by 2033.

January 28, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

Alstom Launches Rail Welding Centre in Mátranovák

Alstom has opened a new welding and fitter training centre at its Mátranovák site in Hungary to support production of railway bogie frames. The facility is aimed at securing skilled labour for rail manufacturing and improving production quality.

January 28, 2026 · 2 min read
Freight Rail

UIRR Warns of Rail Terminal Capacity Gaps

European combined transport association UIRR says insufficient terminal capacity remains a major barrier to shifting freight from road to rail. The assessment follows a new European Commission study and the updated TEN-T Regulation on multimodal terminals.

January 28, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

Czech Rail Capital Moves into Baltic Ports

Czech investor Jaroslav Strnad and J&T investment group are close to acquiring a blocking stake in Polish port operator OT Logistics, according to Czech news website Seznam Zprávy. The move could strengthen rail-linked logistics corridors between the Baltic Sea and Central Europe.

January 28, 2026 · 2 min read
Freight Rail

Rail Freight Growth Drives Kazakh–China Talks

Kazakhstan and China have reviewed rail freight results for 2025 and agreed on further cooperation for 2026, focusing on border operations, digitalisation and infrastructure capacity. The talks took place at Alashankou, the main rail gateway between the two countries.

January 28, 2026 · 2 min read
Passenger Rail

LTG Link Carries Nearly 6m Passengers

Lithuanian passenger operator LTG Link carried 5.9 million passengers in 2025, up by around 350,000 compared with the previous year. Growth was driven mainly by domestic routes and rising international demand.

January 28, 2026 · 1 min read
Freight Rail

Hupac CEO to Step Down in May 2026

Hupac Group has announced that CEO Michail Stahlhut will step down from his role in May 2026 after eight years in charge. The company has started the process of selecting his successor.

January 27, 2026 · 2 min read
Infrastructure

Rail Works in Germany Hit Austria–Germany Links

Major infrastructure works by Germany’s Deutsche Bahn from February 2026 will disrupt rail traffic between Austria and Germany, affecting both passenger and freight services. Austrian operators are adjusting timetables and rerouting trains to maintain connectivity and industrial supply.

January 27, 2026 · 3 min read
Freight Rail

RCG Expands Own-Traction Services to Belgium

ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) has moved its Duisburg–Antwerp and Linz–Antwerp services to own traction, operating the routes with its own locomotives and crews. The operator has also increased frequencies on the Duisburg–Antwerp corridor.

January 27, 2026 · 2 min read
Business

DB Links Rail Role to Holocaust Remembrance

Deutsche Bahn has highlighted Holocaust remembrance as part of its corporate responsibility as Germany’s state-owned rail group. The commitment was reiterated in a joint declaration issued on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

January 27, 2026 · 2 min read
Infrastructure

Kolovratník to Lead Czech Rail Infrastructure Board

The supervisory board of Správa železnic, the Czech rail infrastructure manager, is set to take on a stronger executive role in strategic and investment decisions. The change comes alongside board reshuffles and the planned appointment of a new director-general.

January 26, 2026 · 4 min read
Technology & Innovation

Study: Automation Could Strengthen Rail-Based PT

Autonomous shuttles and buses could significantly improve public transport performance in Germany if deployed as feeders to rail and integrated into an expanded network, according to a new study. The biggest gains are expected where automation supports train-based services rather than replacing them.

January 25, 2026 · 3 min read