The Netherlands explores turning rail wagons into hospitals for wounded soldiers
Russian threat sparks emergency planning in Europe.
Railway
Footage shows explosions in Kyiv as Russia launches all-night drone attack โย video report
At least 14 people have been injured in an overnight drone attack on Kyiv that also damaged railway infrastructure and set buildings and cars on fire, the mayor has said. Separate explosions were reported in a city near Moscow. The attack was the lates…
Russia pummels Kyiv in all-night attack as Trump says ‘disappointed’ in Putin
Russian drones pummelled Kyiv in an all-night attack that wounded at least 23 people, set buildings and cars ablaze and damaged railway infrastructure across the city, Ukrainian authorities said Friday.
UK government fumes at โludicrousโ ยฃ125M โbat tunnelโ
The ‘bat mitigation tunnel’ is designed to protect wildlife from Britain’s High Speed Rail 2 project โ but it’s enraging ministers as cost projections climb.
German finance minister says heโs โconfidentโ fiscal expansion wonโt run afoul of EU rules
“We can find a common path,” Lars Klingbeil said of upcoming negotiations with the European Commission.
Train cable outage near NATO summit sparks fears of sabotage
Dutch justice minister says disruption “could be sabotage.”
Banned snacks pulled from Eurostar departures area at Brussels Midi station
POLITICO reported this week that a duty free shop was still selling EU pork products that could land travelers with a ยฃ5,000 fine.
Dublin is the only large European capital without a metro: what would Leopold Bloom make of that? | Dermot Hodson
In James Joyceโs Ulysses, the cityโs most famous fictional resident was as frustrated by its transport links in 1904 as many of us are todayIrelandโs planning body, An Bord Pleanรกla, will determine later this year the fate of an ambitious proposal to b…
Seven reality checks on Britainโs sunshine spending review
Rachel Reeves, Britain’s finance minister, laid out four years of government spending with a smile. Will it last?
Nazi guards shot prisoners for fun at Channel Islands camp, research says
SS troops killed inmates for target practice, according to account given in documentary Ghosts of AlderneyGuards at a prison camp on one of the Channel Islands entertained themselves at weekends by using prisoners for target practice, according to new …
World War II bombs trigger huge evacuation in Cologne
“The evacuation is the largest measure since the end of the Second World War,” say local authorities.
Bridge blasts in Russian regions bordering Ukraine ahead of planned peace talks
Russian authorities said the explosions would be investigated as potential acts of terrorism.
Russia says blasts led to deadly train crashes in regions bordering Ukraine
Investigators say โexplosionsโ caused two bridges to collapse, triggering derailments and at least seven deathsRussian investigators said they believed โexplosionsโ had caused two bridges in the border regions of Kursk and Bryansk to collapse overnight…
At least 7 dead after Russian bridge collapses onto railway
Moscow Railways, a state-owned subsidiary, said a passenger train derailed ‘between Klimov and Moscow due to the collapse of a road bridge span, as a result of illegal interference in the operation of transport.’
At least seven dead after Russian bridge collapses onto railway
At least seven died when a highway bridge collapsed in Russia’s Bryansk region near Ukraine, emergency services said. The collapse sent several heavy trucks crashing onto a moving passenger train below. Rescue operations are ongoing.
Along Came Love review โ lโamour, loss and lingering shame in eventful French relationship movie
Director Katell Quillรฉvรฉrรฉ explores the ravages of romance in an intelligently performed period piece about a shamed mother and a closeted husbandThe title of Katell Quillรฉvรฉrรฉโs first movie, Un Poison Violent from 2010, was taken from Serge Gainsbourg…
UK government renationalizes first railway company
On Sunday, the British company South Western Railway returned to public ownership. This marks the first step in a renationalization of the railways, ending nearly 30 years of private management.
Syrian refugee, 19, praised after pinning down assailant in Hamburg knife attack
Muhammad Al Muhammad called a hero after helping to halt train station attack in which 18 people were injuredA 19-year-old Syrian refugee in Germany has been hailed as a hero after he pinned down an assailant at Hamburgโs main railway station, helping …
Russia accused of trying to disrupt aid to Ukraine by hacking border crossings
UK says GRU unit accessed cameras near borders, military installations and rail stations at key European locationsRussia tried to hack into border security cameras to spy on and disrupt the flow of western aid entering Ukraine, the UKโs intelligence se…
Western countries reveal major Russian cyber-espionage campaign
Attacks ramped up after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
โYou feel the huge weight of historyโ: the room where Nazi Germany surrendered
Military armistice ending second world war was signed in this nondescript Reims schoolhouse before VE DayFor a building that witnessed one of the pivotal moments of European history, it is oddly unremarkable: a nondescript red-brick schoolhouse on an u…
While Farage surges, Labour prays for its plan to work
Downing Street insists nothing has changed despite both main parties getting a drubbing from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. That line may not hold forever.
Nigel Farageโs Reform UK is about to face the hard part: Being in charge
The populist party could hold its first reins of power after Thursday’s local elections. So what will it actually do? POLITICO went on a mission to find out.
The jaded English town where Nigel Farage could hammer Labour
Westminster is champing at the bit to see if Reform UK wins a crucial by-election against Labour next week. Locals are indifferent.
The US cavalry isnโt coming: How Europe moves its armies without American assistance
Europe has built its war-fighting plans on speeding American reinforcements to the front lines. The prospect of that not happening is throwing military mobility plans into disarray.
The complex legacy of Pope Francis
His was a dramatic papacy, frustrating conservatives and progressives alike. Beloved by the faithful, he leaves behind a divided Church.
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy hails โgood progressโ on minerals deal talks
Ukrainian president says legalities almost finalised and officials signal US concessions in talks that are progressing โquite fastโ; deadly Shahed strike on Dnipro. What we know on day 1,149Minerals deal negotiators have made โgood progressโ, the Ukrai…
A train from the UK to Italy? We’ve heard that one before, but I’m on board | Jonn Elledge
Itโs a lot easier to tease new cross-Channel rail services than it is to actually start running trains. Iโm crossing my fingers anywayBetween environmental breakdown, economic crisis and Donald Trump, it often feels like thereโs precious little reason …
Bomb explodes near national train company office in Athens, no injuries reported
The explosion comes amid widespread public anger over the 2023 Tempi railway disaster in which 57 people were killed when a freight train and a passenger train heading in opposite directions were put on the same track.
Bomb explodes outside offices of Greek rail accident company in Athens
Hellenic Train said the blast had caused limited damage and no injuries to any employees or passers-by. The explosion comes amid widespread public anger over a 2023 railway accident, Greeceโs worst, in which 57 people were killed and dozens more injure…
Bomb explodes near national train company office in Athens, no injuries reported
The explosion comes amid widespread public anger over the 2023 Tempi railway disaster in which 57 people were killed when a freight train and a passenger train heading in opposite directions were put on the same track.
All aboard for Dropcity, a new design hub in Milanโs old railway arches
In the world capital of high design, an architect has transformed a sooty labyrinth of vaults into a vibrant cultural nexus and innovative workshop open to makers, designers DIYers and families
Putin wants Western Balkans as his next โplayground,โ UK warns
Tensions are rising in the Western Balkans, Europe’s ‘other hotspot.’ Britain’s foreign affairs chief David Lammy sees the ‘long hand of Russian interference.’
Trump forces Canada to rethink trade and energy flows
Tariff threats prompt provinces to tout โeast-westโ corridors, rather than โsouthโ to the U.S.
Ukraine war briefing: Trump โwants Zaporizhzhia power plant for USโ
White House has โmoved beyondโ minerals deal; Zelenskyy expects ceasefire deal to cover civilian as well as energy infrastructure. What we know on day 1,121 Donald Trump told Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday that the US could own and run Ukrainian nucl…
Serbiaโs government resigns as Vuฤiฤ floats idea of fresh elections
Serbian president tries to find a way out of historic protests and public outrage after train station collapse.
From London to Lviv: how Trumpโs new world order has shaken Europe
At each stop on 1,000-mile trip, discombobulated Europeans are grappling with new and unsettling realities as the US reforges its alliancesEurope live โ latest updatesWhile Donald Trump talks of the โbig beautiful oceanโ separating the US from the war …
Massive crowds flood Belgrade as months of protests reach boiling point
After sweeping the country, ever-growing anti-government demonstrations have circled back to the Serbian capital.
Belgrade on edge as anti-government protesters converge on Serbian capital
Tens of thousands of protesters converged on Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Saturdayย for what could be the largest single rally since the start of an anti-corruption protest movement triggered by a deadly railway station roof collapse in the city of Nov…
Belgrade on edge as anti-government protesters converge on Serbian capital
Tens of thousands of protesters converged on Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Saturdayย for what could be the largest single rally since the start of an anti-corruption protest movement triggered by a deadly railway station roof collapse in the city of Nov…
Greece gripped by massive strikes as suspicion and anger boil over
On the two-year anniversary of a train crash that killed 57 people, national protests reflect despair over its handling.
Nigel Farage is surging in Britainโs rust belt โ and Labour is panicked
The U.K.’s ruling Labour Party has a 103-year winning streak in Wales, but that could end next May. POLITICO talked to officials, politicians and disillusioned steelworkers to track the rapid rise of Farage’s Reform UK.
Serbian protesters throw eggs at assembly building as new mayor elected in Novi Sad โ video
Anger grew as the new Novi Sad mayor was elected on Monday. Novi Sadโs previous mayor, Milan ฤuriฤ, was forced to resign after 15 people died in the collapse of a concrete canopy at the city’s railway station. Mass protests and growing discontent in th…
St Pancras and Channel tunnel plan rail routes to Germany and Switzerland
Partnership comes as London station looks at ways to almost triple passenger numbersLondonโs St Pancras railway station and the Channel tunnel operator have agreed to work together to open up more trains from Britain to France, and routes to Germany an…
Europeโs former railway stations have become the darling of the luxury hotel scene
Fancy sleeping in a Pullman carriage or a former ticket office? Hop on board Europeโs luxurious train hotels.
At least 18 people die in a railway station stampede in India’s capital
Many of the victims were Hindu pilgrims who were travelling to the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj in northern India, according to Delhiโs caretaker chief minister.
Serbiaโs students are showing the world how to restore democratic hope | Adriana Zaharijeviฤ
An authoritarian regime has been rocked by an anti-corruption movement generating society-wide anger and indignationAdriana Zaharijeviฤ is a philosopher at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of BelgradeWhen a building structure …
Tens of thousands rally against Serbian government in student-led protests โ video report
Three months to the day after a concrete canopy collapsed at the entrance of Novi Sadโs railway station, protesters converged on the northern city and blockaded three bridges in commemoration of the 15 people killed in the incident. The tragedy has bee…
Major anti-corruption protests in Serbia add to pressure on President Vuฤiฤ
Tens of thousands rally against government and in memory of railway station roof collapse that killed 15Serbiaโs powerful populist leader Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ was facing his biggest challenge yet as student-led demonstrations intensified at the weekend in …
Serbian PM’s resignation fails to quell student protests
The collapse of a railway station canopy in November 2024 has become the symbol of corruption in Serbia, sparking protests led by young people.
Serbian prime minister resigns as popular protests persist โย video
The Serbian prime minister, Miloลก Vuฤeviฤ, has resigned a day after Serbian students staged a daylong blockage of a main traffic intersection in Belgrade with the support of farmers, stepping up pressure on the president, Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ. He said he d…
Serbiaโs PM resigns after student protests linked to government corruption โ Europe live
Miloลก Vuฤeviฤ steps down following wave of demonstrations sparked by the deaths of 15 people who were killed when a railway station roof collapsedSpeaking at a press conference in Belgrade, Vuฤeviฤ defended his governmentโs record, but admitted that Se…
Serbian students block Belgrade road junction to increase pressure on Vuฤiฤ
Farmers bring tractors in support of protest, in echo of fall of former president Slobodan MiloลกeviฤSerbian students have staged a daylong blockage of a major traffic intersection in Belgrade with the support of farmers, stepping up pressure on the pre…
Huge Athens crowds demand justice for 2023 train crash
Tens of thousands of people demand action as they gather to remember the victims of Greece’s worst railway disaster.
Thousands protest over deadly train crash in Greece
Clashes erupted at the end of the protests in Athens and Thessaloniki.
Blackstone nears deal to take full control of UK railway arches
US private equity group closes in on buyout of partnerโs stake in ยฃ2bn portfolio
Starmer versus the blockers
๐Listen to Politics At Jack And Samโs on your podcast app๐ Sky Newsโ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politicoโs Dan Bloom look at the day ahead in British politics. Today, Sir Keir Starmer is on the NIMBY offensive to boost economic growth, with plans to reduce the number of times people can go to [โฆ]
EUโs biggest secessionist movement is losing momentum
And Catalonia’s new President wants to shoot it dead.
The nightmare begins. But by holding its nerve, the world can weather President Trump | Gaby Hinsliff
Globally, rightwing populists seem to be walking in his footsteps โ but the UK is proof that thatโs not inevitableThe snow lay in drifts over the railway lines at Auschwitz, when Keir Starmer went to pay his respects last week. His wife, Victoria, the …
I love to travel Europe by train. But here’s what a joined-up 21st-century network needs | Marรญa Ramรญrez
Passenger numbers are rising, but competing with budget airlines will take work on ticket prices, infrastructure and integrationLast August, I took the train from Trieste to Ljubljana, following a route once used by the Orient Express. Along the way, I…
Germany 2025: Reform or more gloom?
The coming year will demand courage from the country’s politicians. But if they succumb to anxiety and idling, there will be darker days ahead.
Serbia charges 13 in railway station tragedy, critics allege cover-up
Belgrade government is trying to “throw dust in the eyes of the people,” former Novi Sad Mayor Boris Novakoviฤ says.
Serbian students rally in Belgrade in latest protest over train station disaster
Hundreds march on state prosecutorโs office to demand justice after 15 people killed when renovated roof collapsedHundreds of university students have rallied in Belgrade to protest against the policies of Serbiaโs president, Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ, and his …
Ukraine war briefing: North Korean troops yet to make major impact on fighting, says Ukraine military intelligence
Missile strike targets residential building in Kryvyi Rih; Christmas celebrations across Ukraine shrouded in grief. What we know on day 1,036See all our Ukraine war coverageA ballistic missile struck an apartment building in the central Ukrainian city …
Thousands gather in Belgrade to protest against Serbiaโs populist government
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Belgrade Sunday to protest against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The rally, organised by students and farmer unions, was part ofย a wider movement demanding accountabi…
German national arrested for sabotage in Russia
The arrest follows that of another German national last month in Russia on similar charges.
Russian assault on Ukraine’s Kupiansk mounts pressure on northeastern front
Russian infantry managed briefly to advance into the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk on Wednesday before being repelled by Kyiv’s army, local authorities said Thursday. The city, an important railway hub, was taken by Russia in the early days …
In Russia’s shadow: The Baltics wait for Europe’s strategic new railway
Building the link to western Europe has become more urgent as the Baltics see Russia as a threat.
In Russia’s shadow: The Baltics wait for Europe’s strategic new railway
Building the link to western Europe has become more urgent as the Baltics see Russia as a threat.
Sewage sprayed on Serbian city hall as protests over station disaster turn violent โย video
Protests in Serbia turned violent as thousands of government opposition backers rallied in the north-western city of Novi Sad after a deadly roof collapse at a local railway station. The protesters broke windows, spray-painted buildings and sprayed sew…
Serbian protesters demand arrests after railway station canopy collapse killed 14
Serbian protesters demand arrests after railway station canopy collapse killed 14
Eighty years after thousands of Greek Jews were murdered, Thessalonikiโs Holocaust museum is finally set to open
Germany is among donors committing millions to the long-awaited project, to be completed in 2026, which will tell story of those who perishedFew places are more representative of the horrors that befell Greece during Nazi occupation than the old railwa…
Watch: Aftermath of Serbia railway station roof collapse
Several people have died, with dozens of rescue workers searching for survivors under the rubble.
8 dead after roof collapse at Serbian train station
Videos circulating on social media show damage to the structure and paramedics at the scene.
Eight dead in Serbia railway station canopy collapse
The outdoor canopy fell on people sitting on benches below in Serbia’s second city Novi Sad.
‘A living hell’: officials search for missing after catastrophic flooding in Spain โ video report
At least 95 people have died in eastern, central and southern Spain after torrential rains triggered the countryโs deadliest floods in three decades, unleashing torrents of muddy water that surged through cities, towns and villages, trapping people in …
Spain’s prime minister warns people affected by floods to ‘stay on guard’ โ video
The Spanish prime minister has warned people in areas affected by floods to stay on guard. ‘Storm Dana continues to cause havoc. We cannot yet consider this devastating episode to be over,’ Pedro Sรกnchez said.The government has announced three days of…
At least 72 people feared dead after torrential rain and floods in Spain
Search continues for missing people, soldiers deployed and residents urged to stay off flooded roadsSpain flash floods โ latest updatesAt least 72 people are feared to have died after torrential rains hit southern and eastern Spain on Tuesday, bringing…
People in Spain: have you been affected by flooding?
We would like to hear from people in Spain about the impact of the flooding in southern and eastern SpainTorrential rains hit southern and eastern Spain on Tuesday, bringing flash floods that raged through towns and cut off roads and railway lines. At …
At least 15 killed in severe flooding after heavy rainstorm hits Bosnia
The road and railway connecting the capital Sarajevo with Mostar and the Adriatic Sea have been inaccessible, with domestic media reporting entire sections swept away or blocked by debris.
Israel vows โconsequencesโ for Iran after missile barrage
Israeli PM Netanyahu said Iran โmade a big mistakeโ in attacking Israel and โwill pay for it.”
Technology driving European rail innovation to sustainable destination [Advocacy Lab Content]
The worldโs largest trade fair focused on transport technology, InnoTrans 2024, took place, from 24-27 September. The railway sector focused on how technology can contribute significantly to the achievement of the European Green Deal.
Meet the worldโs toughest trade negotiator. Itโs not Donald Trump.
Piyush Goyalโs showmanship and negotiating savvy have made him a weapon for India as it takes up its mantle as a global superpower. But is his aggressive approach at risk of backfiring?
On the fringe: Three of Edinburghโs best bike rides
Despite the hills and cobbled streets, the Scottish capital is surprisingly cycle-friendly, with routes leading to landmarks along canal paths, old railway lines and a seaside esplanade
Europeโs most dangerous train station exposes Brusselsโ failuresย
Shootings, stabbings and rampant shoplifting: The Belgian capital’s main railway hub is a magnet for trouble. Why is no one stepping up to fix the problem?
Czech street named after British man who saved Jewish children from Nazis
Nicholas Wintonโs โKinderโ return to Prague to honour man who organised rescue of 669 childrenAt the age of seven, Alexandra Pfeifer was taken by her father and two brothers to Prague railway station, and told she was going on holiday. โI didnโt know w…
UK rail minister got engineer sacked for raising safety concerns
Peter Hendy threatened to withhold public contracts while seeking disciplinary action.
Spain blocks Hungarian rail bid over possible Russia ties
Spain says the bid by the Hungarian company โ formerly a Russian subsidiary โ poses a risk to national security.
More than 70 dead after militant attacks in Pakistanโs Balochistan
At least 73 people were killed in Pakistan’s province of Balochistan when separatist militants attacked police stations, railway lines and highways and security forces launched retaliatory operations, officials said on Monday (26 August).
Greece โ the country that lets people escape justice
Cover-ups, botched investigations and a general feeling of impunity set alarm bells ringing.
Solingen stabbing comes amid steep rise in knife crime in Germany
Politicans have long been calling for stricter weapons laws while others say social issues need to be addressed, after three killed at festival on FridayGermany has experienced a steep rise in knife violence in recent years, and the mass fatal stabbing…
Pokrovsk: Ukraine’s vital eastern town in Russian sights
Pokrovsk is a major logistics hub with a railway station and lies at the intersection of important roads.
All aboard the new Brussels-to-Venice night train
The journey will take about 20 hours.
Alone and unwanted: Millions of displaced Ukrainians hope to go home as the war rages
The Kyiv government is strapped for cash, but millions depend on aid to survive.
So much for the Conflict Games: French security forces award themselves gold
Despite political protests, railway sabotage, gender furore and Russian fake news, Paris 2024 has played out peacefullyIt was on Marseilleโs Corniche John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the coastal road that slings around Franceโs second city, that Gรฉrald Darmani…
Berlin wants to pump defense spending numbers by including military mobility
Germany wants to keep defense spending at 2 percent of GDP, but budget constraints make that difficult.
French general wants to slash โunbelievableโ red tape to move troops faster across Europe
EU needs to up its game on military mobility, but it’s no easy task, General Bertrand Toujouse tells POLITICO.
French rail network vandalism: Investigators probe far-left connections, foreign links
Those responsible for the coordinated acts of sabotage that hit the French railway network on Friday, just before the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony, are still unknown. Initial police investigations are looking at individuals connected with extreme l…
5 ways Labour says Britain is broken
Labour attack dossier lays out holes in Britain’s finances โ which the Tories dismiss as simply a political excuse to raise taxes.
Man arrested over suspected French railway vandalism
Police sources told local media the 28-year-old was found acting suspiciously near a railway site.