Freight news – Page 153
-
NewsNorthland granted Malmbanan paths
EUROPE: Northland Resources plans to begin shipments of iron ore concentrate from its Kaunisvaara plant in Sweden to the Norwegian port of Narvik in the first quarter of 2013, having been allocated train paths on the Malmbanan by Swedish transport authority Transportstyrelsen. Four paths per day will be available from ...
-
NewsFGC enters national freight market
SPAIN: In a presentation given to the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce on September 12, Catalan regional operator FGC announced that it planned to start open-access freight operations on the national 1 668 mm gauge network ‘in approximately two weeks’ time’. In conjunction with Comsa Rail, FGC plans to offer services ...
-
NewsZRL takes charge as Zambian concession revoked
ZAMBIA: State-owned holding company Zambia Railways Ltd resumed control of the national rail network on September 11, following the government’s decision to revoke the operating concession awarded to Railway Systems of Zambia Ltd in 2003. Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda had announced on September 10 that the government had decided on ...
-
NewsCSR Zhuzhou wins South African locomotive order
SOUTH AFRICA: CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive has won a 2⋅54bn yuan contract to supply dual-voltage electric freight locomotives to Transnet from late 2013, beating eight other domestic and international bidders. The four-axle 3⋅1 MW general freight locomotives will have a top speed of 100 km/h, equipped to work under 3 ...
-
NewsEuroporte to manage Port of Strasbourg rail network
FRANCE: Port authority Port Autonome de Strasbourg has awarded Europorte a five-year contract to operate and maintain its 110 km rail network. The Socorail subsidiary of Eurotunnel company Europorte will have 10 staff to manage the rail network, while maintenance of the electrification equipment will be subcontracted to Vinci subsidiary ...
-
NewsViWaS project launched to secure future of wagonload freight
EUROPE: An EU-backed project to develop ‘innovative and practical’ ways of securing the long-term future of wagonload freight operations was launched by 10 rail, logistics and research organisations on September 10. The three-year Viable Wagonload Production Schemes (ViWaS) project will examine ways to increase ‘last mile’ efficiency through the greater ...
-
NewsEuropean-profile PowerHaul locomotive to be unveiled at InnoTrans
GE TRANSPORTATION: The unveiling of the first PH37ACai PowerHaul diesel locomotive designed for continental Europe, launching the ETCS-compatible Tempo suite of signalling products and highlighting the training opportunities offered by GE Transportation University will be among the company's objectives at InnoTrans. The first appearance of a European version of the ...
-
NewsCNR Datong unveils 10 MW locomotive designed to cross China
CHINA: CNR Datong has unveiled a twin-unit electric locomotive developed to haul long-distance freight trains carrying natural resources from the north and west of China to industries in the east. Rolled out on August 27, HXD21001 has a maximum speed of 120 km/h. It is rated at 10 MW, an ...
-
NewsCN sets out wagon acquisition plans
CANADA: Canadian National Executive Vice-President & Chief Marketing Officer Jean-Jacques Ruest has announced details of the 2 207 new wagons that the railway plans to acquire during 2012. The largest order is for 600 high-payload 60 ft vans for forest products and metals traffic. These will have double doors to ...
-
NewsTransport Reform Network launches investment debate
AUSTRALIA: Representatives of more than 30 organisations attended the launch of the Transport Reform Network on August 29. TRN is a cross-industry coalition which aims 'to address Australia's looming transport crisis by seeking changes in the scoping, funding and pricing of transport infrastructure'. Australasian Railway Association CEO Bryan Nye warned ...
-
NewsGE Transportation unveils Tier 4-compliant diesel locomotive
USA: In a ceremony at its plant in Erie, Pennsylvania, GE Transportation unveiled the prototype for its next generation of Evolution Series diesel locomotives on August 24. This is claimed to be the first to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s stringent Tier 4 emissions standards without needing a urea additive ...
-
NewsInternational Rail Partners launched to seek freight line opportunities
INTERNATIONAL: Former RailAmerica and Patriot Rail Corp executives have launched International Rail Partners, a new company which aims to acquire freight railways in Canada, South America, Australia and Europe, along with 'other rail-related support businesses' in the USA, Canada and elsewhere. IRP has its headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, and ...
-
NewsYuxi - Mengzi line completed
CHINA: Construction of 141 km line from Yuxi, south of Kunming, to Mengzi on the route to the Vietnamese border was officially completed on August 14. Just over half of the route is on viaducts or in tunnel, reflecting the challenging local topography, and the 4·5bn yuan ...
-
NewsWärtsilä engine on test in Russia
RUSSIA: The first TEM18V shunter produced by TMH’s Bryansk plant with a 882 kW Wärtsilä 20LA engine is undergoing field testing following certification by the federal railway agency. The Wärtsilä TMH Diesel Engine Co joint venture has announced plans for an engine factory at TMH’s Penzadieselmash plant, broadening the Finnish ...
-
NewsFirst Chinese-built locomotive shipped to an EU customer
ESTONIA: The first locomotive built by China Northern for a customer in the European Union was loaded onto a ship at the port of Tianjin on August 11. Estonian freight operator EVR Cargo announced the €30·2m contract for 16 single-cab shunting locomotives in August 2011. The 1 520 mm ...
-
NewsEuro Terminal Genk launches expansion project
BELGIUM: A six-month expansion and modernisation project has been launched to enable the Euro Terminal Genk freight facility to accommodate increases in intermodal traffic, in particular between the North Sea ports and southern and southeast Europe. The terminal in the north of Genk reached its current capacity of 35 000 ...
-
NewsFreight bypass funding agreed
GERMANY: A funding agreement has been signed to enable the construction of a 6·2 km railway bypass which will allow freight trains to reach the JadeWeserPort development without passing though the town of Sande. The deep-water container port is scheduled to open in September, bringing an increase in traffic on ...
-
NewsHigh-capacity tank wagons arrive in the UK
UK: Leasing firm VTG Rail UK is taking delivery of 50 high-capacity petroleum tank wagons built by Greenbrier Europe. They are equipped with 'track-friendly' TF25 bogies, and feature a self-supporting tank which reduces weight by eliminating the need for a separate underframe. This gives the wagon a maximum payload of ...
-
NewsPresidential launch for Pacific revival
COLOMBIA: President Juan Manuel Santos visited Buenaventura on August 2 as freight operations resumed on the 155 km Buenaventura - Yumbo section of the Pacific network, suspended since November 2011. Ferrocarril del Pacífico SAS, whose shareholders include Railroad Development Corp of the USA, is investing a total of US$16m in ...
-
NewsEntity in Charge of Maintenance certified
GERMANY: Wagon leasing firm VTG has become the first company to receive Entity in Charge of Maintenance certification from German rail authority EBA. Voluntary certification was obtained as a pilot project enabling EBA to gain experience of the process ahead of European rules coming into force on June 1 ...