ERFURT – Shifting more freight from road to rail is a key objective of the transport revolution in Thuringia. This topic was the focus of the "Rail Industry Meeting" held today, Friday, September 12, 2025, in Bad Salzungen. The event, organized by the Thuringian Mobility Network (TMN), a project of the Thuringian Ministry for Digital Affairs and Infrastructure (TMDI), brought together representatives from state politics, railway companies, and businesses that operate freight terminals or plan to increasingly shift their freight to rail. They discussed and consulted on current issues surrounding rail freight transport in Thuringia.
“The state government has explicitly committed to noticeably improving mobility options throughout Thuringia – and this includes, crucially, rail and freight transport. What is the current status? Where are there opportunities for improvement? The rail industry meeting brought together experts on freight transport, facilitated exchange, and highlighted ways to shift more freight traffic to rail. Success cannot be achieved by individuals alone, but only through the concerted efforts of strong networks. The Thuringian Mobility Network (TMN) is a prime example; only in this way can we improve the nationwide framework for increased rail freight,” said Dr. Tobias J. Knoblich, State Secretary at the Thuringian Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (TMDI), who, along with Bad Salzungen's Mayor Klaus Bohl, welcomed the conference guests. A key focus of the event was the presentation of the TMN and its core concepts and projects for the further development of (freight) rail transport in Thuringia. The TMN connects relevant stakeholders from academia, industry, associations, and politics, and promotes sustainable mobility in the Free State. “We are convinced that promoting rail freight in Thuringia, combined with modern decarbonization concepts and the revitalization of railway lines, will have many positive economic effects for Thuringia,” said Sabine Wosche, Managing Director of LEG Thüringen, which operates the TMN office. “Today’s conference brought together relevant stakeholders and offered many opportunities for good information flow and exchange.”
In addition to presenting the TMN and its activities, the conference focused on the EU research project "Rail4Regions," the opportunities and challenges of rail freight transport in southern Thuringia, and potential levers for increasing the shift of freight transport to rail. Ralf Jentges, lawyer and representative of the company "Beratung über Schienenlogistik und Infrastruktur" (BSL) Krefeld, spoke on the latter topic. The conference was complemented by a small "Mobility Market" with information booths from organizations including the TMDI, Erfurter Bahn, and the Thuringian Agency for Skilled Workers (ThAFF). This, along with the surrounding program, provided numerous opportunities for networking and discussion.
