New train between Serbia and Trieste
From October 2025, MSC will launch a rail service connecting the Batajnica terminal near Belgrade with the port of Trieste. The service will give Serbian companies direct access to global markets through the group’s maritime network. The new line is designed to transport automotive components, minerals, machinery, packaging materials and consumer goods. The train, with a capacity of over 70 TEU, will run weekly to MSC’s terminal at Pier VII in Trieste. The aim is to shorten transit times and offer greater reliability than road transport.
Major containership returns to Suez
French shipping company CMA CGM has become the first major line to resume transits through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Asia–North Europe route. The 17,859 TEU containership CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin has crossed the canal on her return voyage to Asia, after nearly two years of diversions around Africa due to Houthi attacks. According to Lloyd’s List, this marks the first passage by a vessel of this size operated by one of the main carrier alliances since early 2024. The ship, deployed on the Ocean Alliance’s NEU4 service, departed Southampton bound for Port Klang, Malaysia. Data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence show that although traffic through Bab el-Mandeb has slightly increased compared to 2024, it remains well below pre-crisis levels. In the first nine months of 2025, only 13 transits involved vessels above 15,000 TEU, all operated by CMA CGM. The return to the Red Sea followed the truce between Israel and Hamas, brokered by US President Donald Trump and in force since 10 October.
MSC fleet exceeds 7 million TEU
MSC has reached a total capacity of 7,002,757 TEU, according to Alphaliner, consolidating its position as the world’s leading container shipping operator. This historic milestone gives the Swiss group control of around 40% of global containerised cargo traffic. The fleet is expanding with new vessels under construction, mainly in Chinese shipyards, which will add over two million TEU. Over the past decade MSC has tripled in size, overtaking Maersk in 2022 after the Danish carrier’s 25-year dominance. Growth has been driven by newbuilds and the acquisition of second-hand tonnage.
New container terminals in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is strengthening its Eurasian logistics role with the opening of two new international container terminals, in Aktau and Almaty. In Aktau, on the Caspian Sea, the region’s largest hub has entered operation, developed through a partnership between Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZh), the Chinese port of Lianyungang and Aktau International Commercial Seaport JSC, with China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) as general contractor. The new facility will increase the port’s capacity from 140,000 to 240,000 TEU per year by December 2025, with a further expansion to 340,000 TEU planned for 2026. The terminal reinforces the country’s role as a strategic node along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, linking China and Europe along both east–west and north–south corridors. The inauguration was marked by the arrival of the 100,000th container from China, signalling growing multimodal traffic across the region. The port also includes terminals for dry bulk, grain, oil and a ferry complex. Meanwhile, in Almaty, the Zhetysu terminal opened in 2025 as a joint venture between KTZh and Chinese partners, with a capacity exceeding 100,000 TEU. The project enhances Kazakhstan’s logistics network by integrating rail and road connections across Central Asia and Europe. This infrastructure expansion forms part of the wider Belt and Road Initiative, consolidating the country’s position as a key transit platform between Asian and European markets.
France extends border controls
The French government has announced the extension of internal Schengen border controls from 1 November 2025 to 30 April 2026. The measure, in place continuously since May 2024, is justified by ongoing internal security threats, including the risk of terrorist attacks, rising organised crime and increased irregular migration. Controls will apply to all land, sea and air borders with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain and Italy. Paris emphasised that the goal remains the protection of public order and the prevention of radical networks’ infiltration. The government also indicated it would seek to minimise the impact on freight transport flows, though operators should anticipate potential delays and added costs, particularly on routes with Germany and Belgium.
Rt&l acquires P&a Spedizioni
Rt&l has acquired P&a Spedizioni, a company with over thirty years’ experience in customs services. The deal allows the Genoa-based group to expand into the customs sector, complementing its core project cargo business. According to MF-MilanoFinanza, the transaction was agreed with the Astaldi family, founders of P&a, who will join the acquiring company as significant shareholders. Rt&l is backed by Redeem Finance, a spin-off of Redelfi Group, which specialises in the development of sustainable and innovative infrastructure.
US arrest over emissions fines
David “Heavy D” Sparks, star of the television show Diesel Brothers, was arrested in Utah on 7 October 2025 for failing to pay penalties linked to violations of the Clean Air Act. According to ABC4, the arrest followed the issue of a court summons for contempt. The case dates back to a civil lawsuit filed in 2017 by Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE), accusing Sparks, co-host David “Diesel Dave” Kiley and other production members of tampering with diesel truck emission controls. In March 2020, a judge imposed a total fine of 851,451 dollars (about 786,000 euros) for more than 400 deliberate breaches of the Clean Air Act and state environmental laws. According to UPHE, the defendants had removed particulate filters, installed defeat devices and used modified vehicles as contest prizes. Sparks and his co-defendants were already held in contempt in June 2024 for non-payment and again ordered to settle the fines in January 2025.
Catone Logistica joins Elite
Catone Logistica, a company specialising in temperature-controlled logistics based in the province of Caserta, has been selected among twenty new Italian firms admitted to Euronext’s Elite ecosystem. The platform, promoted by Borsa Italiana, offers development tools and access to a network of international investors and partners to support business growth and innovation. Among the companies from ten regions, over 60% of them located in central and southern Italy, Catone is the only one operating in the logistics and transport sector.
