Freight news – Page 102
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NewsDebt burden tempers SNCF growth in 2017
FRANCE: Announcing its results for 2017 on February 27, SNCF Group reported revenue of €33∙5bn, up 4∙2% on the year before ‘thanks to commercial momentum’ driving strong growth in passenger and freight traffic. Combined with ‘strict financial discipline’ and a cost-cutting programme that generated €830m of savings in 2017, this ...
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NewsDoncaster rail freight hub completed
UK: The iPort Rail intermodal freight terminal in Doncaster is now operational, industrial and logistics property developer Verdion announced after the first test train ran onto the site on February 20. The 12 ha rail facility is part of the 136 ha iPort logistics hub site which is connected to ...
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NewsAlstom Prima locomotive for Indian Railways on test
INDIA: The first of 800 WAG12 twin-section electric locomotives which Alstom is supplying to Indian Railways is now on test at a purpose-built factory in Madhepura. First 12000 HP freight locomotive (WAG 12) under test in Ministry of Railway-Alstom Joint Venture factory 'Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd.' at Madhepura ...
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NewsDB Rail Academy starts Brazilian training programme
BRAZIL: Working with local sector organisations, DB Engineering & Consulting has launched the country’s first internationally certified training programme for rail and logistics managers. Under the DB Rail Academy programme, an initial tranche of 35 managers from rail freight and passenger operators began an 18-month course in Brasilia on February ...
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NewsTurkmenistan – Afghanistan railway modernised
ASIA: A ceremony to mark the completion of work to upgrade the 13 km rail link between Serhetabat in southern Turkmenistan and Towraghondi in northern Afghanistan took place on February 23. This formed part of a pair of ceremonies which were held in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to mark the completion ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
In conjunction with freight operator Ferrosur Roca, Argentina’s Ministry of Transport has conducted trial piggyback movements carrying lorry semi-trailers between Spegazzinni in Buenos Aires province and the port of Bahía Blanca. Wagons for the trial were supplied by Vale Argentina SA. At cost of €5·1m, Slovenia Railways’ freight business has ...
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NewsBelgrano renewals reach 400 km
ARGENTINA: The Ministry of Transport announced on February 21 that its track renewals programme on the 1 000 mm gauge Belgrano network had completed 400 km of the 535 km to be upgraded under the first phase. Involving the replacement of wooden sleepers with concrete, new rail and reballasting with ...
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NewsGWR leads the pack at 20th Rail Business Awards
UK: Great Western Railway was announced as Rail Business of the Year and ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes was named Industry Leader of the Year at the 20th Rail Business Awards. Hosted by Railway Gazette at London’s Hilton hotel on Park Lane on February 22, the event bought together ...
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NewsModified Yermak locomotive on test
RUSSIA: Trials are underway with a three-section 3ES5K Yermak 25 kV 50 Hz locomotive rated at 9·2 MW which has been modified by TMH’s Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Works. The locomotive has been fitted with VIP4000D traction converters developed by Elektrovypryamitel and Irkutsk State University of Communications, controlled by software ...
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NewsG&W invests in last mile technology business
USA: International rail freight group Genesee & Wyoming Inc has invested in Cargomatic, a technology platform which connects freight shippers and road hauliers with a focus on short-haul markets. Terms were not disclosed. Cargomatic currently operates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Houston and New York, but it ...
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NewsFerroviaria Andina orders Stadler SALi locomotives
BOLIVIA: Ferroviaria Andina has placed the first order for three locomotives to Stadler’s South American Light Loco design, which has been developed specifically for the Latin American market. The SALi locomotives to be manufactured at Stadler’s Valencia plant in Spain are derived from the Eurodual family. Stadler said the ‘ultra-lightweight’ ...
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NewsState aid for freight sidings approved
FRANCE: The European Commission has approved the granting of €60m of state aid for the construction, renewal or extension of freight sidings. The European Rail Freight Association welcomed the decision, saying ‘around 50% of the 2 500 to 3 000 sidings are out of service’, and many industries were ‘facing ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
The first freight train used the newly built link from Astara in Azerbaijan to the similarly named freight facility on the Iranian side of the border on February 8. Six wagons from Russia were loaded with timber and MDF. Meeting in Ljubljana on February 6-7, representatives of SŽ-Tovorni Promet, HŽ ...
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NewsUnited Wagon delivers wagons to Guinea
GUINEA: United Wagon Co’s TikhvinSpetsMash plant has shipped the first of 114 hopper wagons ordered by aluminium producer Rusal following an international tender. The wagons will be used to transport bauxite from the Dian-Dian deposit in the Boké region. The 1 435 mm gauge hopper wagon designed by UWC’s All-Union ...
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NewsSpinetta report urges SNCF to prepare for competition
FRANCE: The national railway must refocus on ‘the areas where it has greatest relevance’: transporting large numbers of passengers within urban areas, and providing high speed connectivity between France’s principal cities. This mission statement is at the heart of a landmark report handed to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on February ...
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NewsEP Cargo orders Traxx locos
GERMANY: Czech open access freight operator EP Cargo has ordered two Bombardier Transportation Traxx AC3 15 kV 16·7 Hz electric locomotives, with the first scheduled to be delivered in late March. The locomotives are to be used by EP Cargo Deutschland to haul fly ash and gypsum to Stralsund from ...
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NewsLocomotives bought back amid ETCS dispute
POLAND: Orlen KolTrans has leased three of five Griffin locomotives which Newag had originally built for Lotos Kolej under a deal which has been terminated following a dispute about the lack of onboard ETCS equipment. The locomotives were ordered in December 2015, when open access freight operator Lotos Kolej and ...
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NewsCP share buyback follows Q4 successes
CANADA: Canadian Pacific has completed its second share repurchase programme, the railway confirmed on February 8. CP had announced on December 11 its intention to buy back up to 755 000 common shares from two third-party sellers under two consecutive programmes to be completed by May 14. The first completed ...
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NewsHupac traffic grows despite the 'Rastatt effect'
EUROPE: Switzerland-based intermodal transport operator Hupac carried 763 101 road consignments by rail in 2017, an increase of 3·5% on the previous year. This was despite the seven-week blockade of the Rhine Valley route near Rastatt, which resulted in the loss of more than 30 000 consignments. Traffic in the ...
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NewsNorfolk Southern positioning for growth
USA: Norfolk Southern has announced plans to invest $1·8bn in capital projects during 2018, as it pursues the objectives set out in its Strategic Plan adopted in 2016. With a focus on improving service and operational efficiency while maintaining safety, the capital spending will be broadly in line with the ...