Freight news – Page 34
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NewsAurizon cleared to acquire One Rail
AUSTRALIA: Aurizon expects to complete its acquisition of One Rail by the end of July, following a qualified approval of the deal by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.
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NewsTraffic boost envisaged in Belgian operating contracts
BELGIUM: Final negotiations over the next 10-year operating contracts for state-owned passenger operator SNCB and national infrastructure manager Infrabel are expected to start in the coming weeks, following the publication of draft versions for consultation. According to federal Minister of Mobility Georges Gilkinet, rail needs to ...
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NewsTexas railway changes hands in logistics park expansion project
USA: Liberty Development Partners has acquired the Gulf Inland Logistics Park and Class III railway CMC Railroad which operates on the site near Dayton in Texas. Liberty Development Partners was formed by property developer Connor Investment Real Estate and Logistics & Development Resources, a rail company ...
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NewsCanadian measures to address effects of climate change on rail
CANADA: Transport Canada has announced a Rail Climate Change Adaptation Programme to provide up to C$2·2m of co-funding for to support research and development activity to address the impacts of climate change on the rail sector.
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NewsUzbek company produces prototype container wagon
UZKBEKISTAN: Steel fabricator Orient Metal has produced a prototype wagon for transporting four 20 ft or two 40 ft containers. Acceptance and certification testing is expected to be completed in Q3 2022, enabling the company’s plant in the Yashnobod district of Toshkent to produce up to ...
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NewsSlovakian EffiShunter contract
SLOVAKIA: National freight operator ZSSK Cargo has awarded CZ Loko a contract to rebuild 20 Class 742 Bo-Bo diesel-electric locos to the EffiShunter 1000M design, with an option for 20 more. This is CZ Loko’s largest order from Slovakia. The locos will be similar to Class ...
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NewsFreight company Operail facing ‘complicated circumstances’
ESTONIA: National rail freight operator Operail says 2022 has brought ‘complicated circumstances’, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine impacting on its operations. The management board is taking steps to find replacements for sanctioned traffic and to direct its wagons on lease away from high-risk regions. ‘Despite ...
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NewsThrough running accord to boost chrome exports
AFRICA: Transnet Freight Rail has signed a cross-border through-running agreement with Mozambique’s CFM, aimed at boosting the export of South African chrome and ferrochrome through the port of Maputo.
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NewsCross-border links backed as €5·4bn in grants awarded at Connecting Europe Days
A total of €5·4bn in transport investment funding was announced at the Connecting Europe Days in Lyon on June 29. Toma Bačić reports from Lyon.
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NewsVectron locos ordered with XLoad to increase Alpine capacity
SWITZERLAND: SüdLeasing has placed an order for Siemens Mobility to supply and maintain 20 Vectron multisystem locomotives equipped with the XLoad package to increase the locos’ haulage capability. The 160 km/h locos will be delivered from early 2024 and leased by SBB Cargo International under a ...
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NewsGeopolitical risks increase demand for multisystem locomotives
POLAND: Cargounit has ordered a further five Siemens Mobility Vectron MS electric locomotives for delivery in 2023-24.
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In depthComment: No time to delay
The rail industry is emerging from the pandemic facing an urgent need to prioritise investment and ensure tangible operational, productivity and technological benefits are delivered within the next five years, argues our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.
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NewsMRS Logística to invest R$10bn after early concession renewal
BRAZIL: The Federal Audit Court has approved the early renewal of MRS Logística’s concession to operate freight services on its 1 643 km broad and mixed gauge network serving the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. This paves the way for MRS ...
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NewsRail Cargo Group increases grain transport from Ukraine
EUROPE: ÖBB Rail Cargo Group says it is dedicating ‘all available resources’ to transporting grain out of Ukraine as part of the European Commission’s Solidarity Lanes plan to protect food supplies following the Russian invasion and blockade of Black Sea ports. The capacity of RCG trains ...
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Rail Business UKFlexible wagons to refresh infrastructure fleet
UK: Swiss wagon leasing group Wascosa marked its entry into the UK freight market with an event at London Victoria station on June 28 to unveil three designs of wagon it is delivering to refresh Network Rail’s infrastructure maintenance fleet. The company is supplying 570 vehicles ...
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NewsConsultation starts on Swiss Bahn 2050 programme
SWITZERLAND: The Federal Council has put forward proposals for a further long-term programme of investment in the national rail network. Enhancement of the existing network to allow more intensive use is now seen as preferable to starting more major infrastructure projects.
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In depthMongolia: Gobi coal exports poised to switch to rail
Despite significant delays caused by the pandemic and a challenging local climate, commissioning of the infrastructure for Mongolia’s Tavan Tolgoi – Gashuun Sukhait Railway is due to start next quarter. The country’s largest current railway construction project will see exports from one of the world’s largest coking coal mines transfer from road to rail.
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Rail Business UKRaising-roof container designed to support switch from road to rail
UK: A curtain-sided container with a raising roof which is designed to transport double-stacked palletised products by rail has been unveiled by Nestlé UK & Ireland. The company said the railway network’s height constraints compared to road meant rail ‘had not been a winning option for ...