Freight news – Page 173
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NewsGreen bottles keep falling
EUROPE: The May issue of Railway Gazette International reported suggestions that open-access operators in the European rail freight sector might not withstand the chill winds of the economic downturn, and commented that some had already been bought out by state-backed incumbent operators. The logic is unassailable. Free from costly regulations ...
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NewsSiemens and Sinara announce locomotive joint venture
RUSSIA: Siemens Mobility, freight locomotive manufacturer Sinara Transport Machines and Russian Railways signed a memorandum of understanding for the production of electric locomotives during the 1520 Strategic Partnership forum in Sochi on May 28. A joint venture of Siemens and Sinara will be based at the Russian firm's Ural ...
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NewsOptimism in München
GERMANY: Despite the woes affecting the global freight market, more than 47 500 visitors attended the Transport Logistic trade fair in München. The show attracted 1 760 exhibitors from 55 countries, across the rail, road, maritime and air sectors. Amongst the rail exhibits was the first of 65 Traxx ...
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NewsGE unveils ES44C4 locomotive
USA: GE Transportation formally unveiled its ES44C4 locomotive design with a roll-out ceremony on May 18. Part of the Evolution family, the ES44C4 is derived from the ES44AC, but with the centre axles on each bogie unpowered. The aim is to offer a replacement option for DC-motored locomotives which have ...
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NewsWagon fleet split aims to attract private finance
RUSSIA: The board of Russian Railways has approved the formation of a second freight business comparable to the existing OJSC First Freight Company. RZD's wagon fleet will split between the two companies in a strategy to improve services, increase utilisation and attract private investment. 'All the documents should be ...
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NewsCommissioning of Egyptian JT42CWRM begins
EGYPT: Commissioning has begun in Cairo of the first 15 of 40 Electro-Motive Diesel JT42CWRM locomotives being supplied to Egyptian National Railways. They are the first locomotives from the Class 66 family to be delivered to a customer outside Europe. The JT42CWRM locomotives will be deployed on passenger routes, ...
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NewsGE to supply locomotives to Nigeria
NIGERIA: GE Transportation and the Federal Ministry of Transportation announced the signing of a letter of intent covering the supply of 25 diesel locomotives on May 12. The C25 EMPD six-axle locomotives will be built by GE Transportation South America at Contagem in Brazil, with 12-cylinder 7FDL 2 500 ...
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NewsHusa buys into German freight market
GERMANY: Netherlands-based Husa Transportation Group has taken over two freight companies under a plan to acquire a strategic position in the German rail market through acquisitions and co-operation with regional players. Based in southern Germany, Rent-a-Rail focuses on 'last mile' transport, rolling stock leasing and work for construction contractors. ...
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NewsOKD Doprava buys freight forwarder
CZECH REPUBLIC: Private rail freight operator OKD Doprava has bought 100% of freight forwarding and logistics company Cechofracht from Cyprus-based Hattisburg Enterprises for an undisclosed price. OKD-Doprava is owned by owned by Netherlands-based New World Resources. The company embarked on an expansion strategy in 2008, buying the Czech Republic's ...
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NewsTrans-Siberian in seven days
RUSSIA: Meeting in Moscow on April 29, RZD’s Scientific & Technical Council endorsed plans to improve the efficiency of container transport, notably transit shipments on the Trans-Siberian landbridge. According to the railway, achieving international quality standards for container transport is one of RZD’s strategic priorities. Although freight volumes have fallen ...
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NewsFerroeste consolidates its expansion plans
Samuel Gomes, Chairman & CEO, Estrada de Ferro Paraná Oeste SA This year will be a decisive time for Ferroeste, as we press ahead with our long-term expansion strategy. By the end of the year, we expect to have completed all the technical and environmental studies for a series of ...
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NewsSNCB reforms intermodal freight
BELGIUM: As part of the ongoing rationalisation of its freight business unit, SNCB is consolidating the activities of its two intermodal subsidiaries with effect from May 1. Within SNCB Groupe Fret, IFB (Inter Ferry Boats) and TRW (Transport Route Wagon) have operated in parallel for several years, with IFB specialising ...
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NewsInfrarail brings logistics expertise to major projects
FRANCE: Through the creation of Infrarail, SNCF is giving its infrastructure services business a more commercial focus as the sector becomes increasingly competitive. Laurent Charlier reports.
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NewsFreight trains to use High Speed 1 from 2010
UK: DB Schenker Rail (UK) announced on April 16 that it had signed an agreement with HS1 Ltd to develop TVM software modifications enabling Class 92 electric locomotives to operate on High Speed 1, the high speed line from the Channel Tunnel to London. Infrastructure owner HS1 Ltd and ...
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NewsPort of Melbourne link opens
AUSTRALIA: The upgraded Tottenham - Dynon rail link was officially opened on 8 April, five years after the start of the A$45m project to provide a 7 km double track standard gauge connection between the Tottenham yards and the Port of Melbourne's intermodal terminal. Opening the line, Minister for ...
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NewsCompetition through the Channel Tunnel
EUROPE: Presenting the FaberMaunsell/Aecom lecture on the future of rail freight in the UK at the Institution of Civil Engineers on March 12, Rail Freight Group Chairman Lord Berkeley announced that the first ‘open access’ freight train through the Channel Tunnel would be running that night. It transpires that the ...
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NewsRussia-Finland freight joint venture
RUSSIA: Plans to establish a joint venture freight forwarding company to boost export, import and transit traffic between Russia and Finland were announced by RZD subsidiary Freight One on April 13. Freight One's General Director Salman Babayev has signed a 'statement of intent with the Chairman of VR Ltd ...
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NewsNorth-South Railway loco and wagon orders signed
SAUDI ARABIA: The Ministry of Finance's Public Investment Fund signed contracts on April 7 for 25 diesel locomotives and 668 wagons for use on the North-South Railway. EMD will deliver 25 SD70ACS heavy-haul diesel-electric locomotives from the second quarter of 2010, bringing the number of EMD locomotives operating in ...
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NewsEurosib buys shunting company Magistral
RUSSIA: Eurosib Transportation Systems announced on April 8 that it had completed the purchase of Magistral, which provides shunting services at Podporozhye in Leningrad oblast. Active in the logistics market since 1992, Eurosib is now one of the 10 largest private rail operators in Russia. It serves the metals, ...
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NewsSBB Cargo shortlists seven partners
SWITZERLAND: Half of the 14 bidders which submitted firm offers to work in partnership with SBB Cargo last October have been retained for further negotiations. Announcing this on April 2, SBB Cargo said that it is keeping open the option of continuing as an independent operator. Only if a partnership ...