Editing Transport in Germany (section)

=== International freight trains ===
While Germany and most of [[Geographic contiguity|contiguous]] Europe use {{RailGauge|1435mm|allk=on}}, differences in signalling, rules and regulations, electrification voltages, etc. create obstacles for freight operations across borders. These obstacles are slowly being overcome, with international (in- and outgoing) and transit (through) traffic being responsible for a large part of the recent uptake in rail freight volume. EU regulations have done much to harmonize standards, making cross border operations easier. [[Maschen Marshalling Yard]] near Hamburg is the second biggest in the world and the biggest in Europe. It serves as a freight hub distributing goods from Scandinavia to southern Europe and from Central Europe to the port of Hamburg and overseas. Being a densely populated prosperous country in the center of Europe, there are many important transit routes through Germany. The [[Mannheim–Karlsruhe–Basel railway]] has undergone upgrades and refurbishments since the 1980s and will likely undergo further upgrades for decades to come as it is the main route from the North Sea Ports to northern Italy via the [[Gotthard Base Tunnel]].