Strikes, TEN-T Delays, and New Road Charges: A Week of Tension in European Transport

On February 2, 2026, a nationwide public transport strike is underway in Germany^[1] organized by the Verdi union. Buses, trams, and metro services in approximately 150 cities (excluding Lower Saxony) are not running in subzero temperatures^[2], complicating alternative mobility options. Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance rail operates normally^[3] as its employees are not part of Verdi. Simultaneously, in the Lombardy region of Italy, Trenord workers have scheduled a strike^[4] for February 2–3 with limited services guaranteed between 6–9 AM and 6–9 PM, while Barcelona’s suburban rail Rodalies plans a protest for February 9–11^[5]. The unions demand shorter shifts^[6] and higher wages, while local authorities attempt to restrict benefits and extend working hours. Disruptions affect millions of commuters and tourists^[7], indirectly impacting port terminal operations and last-mile logistics in key urban hubs.

Strikes and Disruptions in Transport

At the infrastructure level, on January 19, 2026, the European Court of Auditors published a special report^[8] “SR-2026-02,” which states that the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is unachievable by 2030^[9]. Analysis of eight megaprojects revealed an average delay of 17 years^[10] compared to original timelines and a 47% cost increase, totaling an estimated 23.8 billion euros. The causes include effects of the COVID-19 pandemic^[11], the Russian invasion of Ukraine, poor coordination among member states, and insufficient oversight by the European Commission. This implies prolonged use of aging infrastructure^[12], higher intermodality costs, and possible budget shifts within the Connecting Europe Facility instrument.

TEN-T Infrastructure and More Expensive Roads

Concurrently, most European Union countries are raising or introducing new road tolls^[13] for trucks linked to emissions and the “polluter pays” principle. In Poland, from February 1, 2026, e-TOLL rates for vehicles over 3.5 tons increase by 40–42%^[14], while the tolled network expands by 645 km (including segments of the A2 motorway, expressways, and national roads DK8, DK12, DK50, DK91). The motorway toll per kilometer is 0.56 PLN^[15], still lower than in Germany or Austria, but the hike places a significant burden on carriers with margins around 2–3%. Average motorway rates rise by 0.87%^[16], in the Czech Republic emission surcharges increase first-class road fees up to 41.8%, while Austria and the Netherlands introduce more emission-, weight-, and distance-dependent systems. Consequences may include route changes, greater congestion on toll-free roads^[17], and accelerated shifts toward intermodal transport.

In aviation and rail, carriers are adjusting networks and preparing for new climate regulations. Ryanair announced it will base a sixth aircraft^[18] in the summer 2026 season at Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, reflecting an investment of around 600 million dollars. The number of connections from Gdańsk will rise to 43^[19], including 5 new routes to Rome, Dubrovnik, Tirana, Palermo, and Bucharest, increasing capacity by 300,000 seats (about 16%). This fits Ryanair’s expansion in Poland, where in 2025 it served roughly 13 million passengers with a 20% year-on-year increase^[20]. Deutsche Bahn introduced a new timetable^[21] featuring 30-minute intervals for ICE trains on major corridors Hamburg–Hanover–Kassel and Berlin–Halle–Erfurt, 14 new Sprinter trains reducing travel times, including Stuttgart–Berlin to about 4 hours 45 minutes, and additional international connections, e.g., Leipzig–Kraków, supported financially by the European Commission under the TEN-T network.

Reshaping Air and Rail Networks

At the climate regulation level, on January 27, 2026, the Polish government adopted a draft amendment to the Aviation Law^[22], implementing the EU’s Re. FuelEU Aviation package. A minimum 2% share of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the fuel mix^[23] applies at selected EU airports, with similar rules starting March 1, 2026 in Poland and penalties effective from January 2027. Supervision is entrusted to the Civil Aviation Authority^[24] and the Energy Regulatory Office. IATA estimates the global additional cost of using SAF in 2026^[25] at about 4.5 billion dollars, with a price premium of 2–5 times compared to conventional fuel. This may cause slight ticket price increases and accelerate investments in sustainable fuel production in Europe.

In the freight market during the last week of January 2026, the Drewry World Container Index recorded rate declines^[26] on Asia-US routes of about 12% to the West Coast and 11% to the East Coast since the start of the month, including Shanghai–Los Angeles and Shanghai–New York corridors. The average 40-foot container shipping price ranges^[27] between 2,000 and 2,700 dollars depending on the route. Causes include weaker post-holiday demand, oversupply of ships, and some production relocation closer to markets. Shipping company CMA CGM announced, together with Stonepeak fund, the creation of United Ports^[28] valued at around 10 billion dollars, which contributed 10 terminals in key US ports including New York, Los Angeles, and Long Beach. Stonepeak will take a 25% stake for 2.4 billion dollars^[29] with options for further investments of 3.6 billion dollars. The deal reflects a trend of vertical integration by maritime operators^[30] and may lead to changes in port fee structures and further consolidation of logistics services.

Related posts:

Strikes and Disruptions in Transport

TEN-T Infrastructure and More Expensive Roads

Reshaping Air and Rail Networks

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