Freight news – Page 160
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NewsMonongahela line upgraded in eight-day blockade
USA: Norfolk Southern reported on July 20 that it had completed a $16·2m programme of track, bridge, and signalling improvements on its Monongahela Valley routes in southwestern Pennsylvania during an eight-day blockade. Serving five mines that shipped 37·5 million tonnes of coal last year, the route normally carries around 30 ...
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NewsWorld Bank approves Dedicated Freight Corridor loan
INDIA: The World Bank has approved a US$975m loan towards the 343 km Khurja – Kanpur first phase of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. Running from Ludhiana to Sonnagar and Dankuni, the 1843 km EDFC is intended to ease congestion on the Delhi – Kolkata axis and achieve a smaller ...
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NewsKaunisvaara iron ore logistics joint venture announced
EUROPE: Northland Resources has announced an agreement to form a 50:50 joint venture with civil engineering firm Peab to manage the transportation of iron from the magnetite mine which Northland is developing at Kaunisvaara, 100 km north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. Production is expected to be underway ...
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NewsNîmes – Montpellier bypass moves closer
FRANCE: Réseau Ferré de France announced on July 4 that it had launched final negotiations with the three shortlisted bidders for the PPP concession to build the Contournement Nîmes – Montpellier, which it describes as the country’s first ‘mixed traffic high speed line’. RFF expects to receive Best & Final ...
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NewsTatravagonka spreads Habii(ll)nss in Russia
RUSSIA: The first of a planned fleet of wagons combining modern European design with Russian technical specifications is undergoing trials at the VNIKTI rolling stock research and development institute in Kolomna. The Type 11-9861 sliding-wall wagon has been built by Tatravagonka in Slovakia under an agreement signed with Russian Railways ...
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NewsCN boosts Alberta operations
CANADA: Canadian National has confirmed that work will start shortly on its planned 243 ha intermodal facility at Conrich, Alberta, northeast of Calgary. First announced in 2010, the C$200m Logistics Park will have more than 185 000 m² of warehousing capacity, the capability to handle heavy containers and space ...
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NewsKiwiRail orders more Chinese locomotives
NEW ZEALAND: KiwiRail signed an order for a further 20 DL diesel locomotives from CNR Dalian on June 2. Scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2012, they will be identical to the 20 ordered in 2009 and delivered in two stages over the last year. During the last ...
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NewsChinese firm wins European wagon order
EUROPE: CNR Jinan announced a contract to supply 20 ammonia and 20 liquefied gas tank wagons to French leasing company Atir-Rail on June 17. Although Albania acquired a number of Chinese-built vehicles in the 1960s, CNR said the deal is its first European wagon order and marks the entry of ...
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NewsAkiem adds Class 77s to lease fleet
FRANCE: Electro-Motive Diesel announced on June 20 that it had delivered seven Class 77 locomotives to the SNCF Geodis subsidiary Akiem, who will lease them to local operator Voies Ferrées Locales et Industrielles for use on heavy freight trains in northern France. Facilitated through a financing package arranged by Bank ...
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NewsRZD orders 2ES5 and narrow gauge locomotives
RUSSIA: Russian Railways signed two agreements for the purchase of locomotives during the 1 520 Forum in Sochi. The first is a contract for 200 Alstom-TMH 2ES5 twin-section AC electric freight locomotives to be delivered by the Novocherkassk plant in 2013-20, building on a memorandum signed at InnoTrans 2010. The ...
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NewsChina starts work on line to Myanmar
ASIA: A foundation laying ceremony in the border town of Ruili on May 30 marked the official launch of construction on a railway from Kunming in China to Myanmar. The 330 km double-track line will join the CR network at Dali in Yunnan province. Construction is being undertaken in two ...
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NewsVTG buys two wagon fleets
EUROPE: Wagon leasing firm VTG has announced acquisitions in the 1520 region and Italy, with CEO Dr Heiko Fischer saying the Hamburg-based group is 'pursuing a path as market consolidator', making purchases as opportunities to strengthen its business arise. With effect from June 1 VTG has acquired Railcraft, which has ...
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NewsPartial privatisation planned for Spanish freight
SPAIN: The board of state operator RENFE has approved a restructuring programme for its Freight & Logistics business that would see the private sector offered up to 45% of four trading companies operating in distinct market sectors. The programme aims to strengthen RENFE's competitive position in the liberalised freight ...
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NewsSeven-year tank wagon lease
RUSSIA: Petrochemical company Sibur has signed a seven-year agreement to lease 550 Type 15-1780 propane and butane gas tank wagons from Brunswick Rail. The first 20 wagons were delivered in April, with the rest to follow by October. ‘Long-term co-operation with such clients is a key element of Brunswick Rail’s ...
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NewsRevenue share port line opens
INDIA: The first line built under the government's Railways Infrastructure for Industry Initiative to attract private finance for rail projects opened on May 8, when a train of Australian coal left the new Port of Dhamra for Tata Steel's Jamshedpur plant. The 62 km single track line serving the east ...
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NewsTZV Gredelj delivers Riversdale coal locomotives
MOZAMBIQUE: Riversdale Mining is taking delivery of six 1 067 mm gauge GT26CW diesel locomotives for the Benga coal project, 65:35 joint venture with Tata Steel which is expected to begin producing coal in Tete province during the second half of this year. The 3 300 hp locomotives with EMD ...
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NewsFirst freight on High Speed 1
UK: Containers being moved from Hams Hall near Birmingham to Novara in Italy formed DB Schenker Rail's first loaded freight service over High Speed 1 during the early hours of May 27. DB Schenker is to undertake five loaded trials on the high speed line between London and the Channel ...
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NewsOne on, one off
GUINEA: Construction of a 650 km railway linking planned iron ore mines at Simandou to a new port near Matakang is set to go ahead, after Rio Tinto’s Simfer subsidiary signed a US$700m mining agreement with the government on April 22. The current administration is reviewing all ...
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NewsSumatra coal railway on course for 2014 opening
INDONESIA: Joint venture company Bukit Asam Transpacific Railway has launched the land acquisition process for its 307 km coal railway in southern Sumatra, Special Advisor to the Board Dr Julison Arifin told the Modern Railways conference in Bangkok on May 24. Intended as a heavy haul railway to move coal ...
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NewsPhosphate trial marks completion of North-South line
SAUDI ARABIA: Completion of the initial phase of the North-South Railway was announced by Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund Dr Ibrahim Al-Assaf on May 24. Trial operations on the 1 392 km 'Mineral Route' section of the NSR had begun the previous day, with ...