Freight news – Page 76
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NewsBasel intermodal agreement signed
INTERNATIONAL: Deutsche Bahn, the German Federal Asset Authority (Bundeseisenbahnvermögen) and the Canton of Basel-Stadt signed an agreement on November 15 intended to increase the volume of freight moving by rail and water thanks to improvements to rail infrastructure and transhipment and terminal facilities. The agreement covers upgrading ...
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NewsEurasian containers replace coal as freight market changes
Source: Duisport GERMANY: The Coal Island facility at the inland Port of Duisburg is to be replaced by a rail, river and road intermodal terminal in a change which operator Duisport said reflects a ‘sharp decline’ in the coal market but ‘booming’ trade with China. The ...
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NewsFreight hub master plan unveiled
NEW ZEALAND: A master plan for a rail and road freight hub near Palmerston North was unveiled by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones on November 26. Video: Palmerston North intermodal freight hub master plan The proposed facility would replace an existing yard ...
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NewsLocomotive Workshop Rotterdam maintenance facility opens
NETHERLANDS: The Locomotive Workshop Rotterdam maintenance depot in the port’s Maasvlakte 2 area was offically inaugurated on November 26. It has been developed by a joint venture of manufacturer Siemens Mobility and leasing company Mitsui Rail Capital Europe, and will undertake preventive and corrective maintenance, inspection and ...
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NewsArticulated open wagons offer 23% increase in load per unit length
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co has obtained federal certification for two designs of articulated open wagon. It said these can increase the load per unit length by 23% compared to conventional designs, providing a significant boost to network efficiency without needing to change the infrastructure to accommodate ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Kiel-Meimersdorf yard has been remodelled to increase the maximum length of trains it can handle from 535 m to 740 m. The €7·9m project is one of 17 rail schemes being undertaken as part of the federal Sea Port Hinterland Transport II programme Kansas City Southern has ...
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NewsNew ERFA President calls for a ‘truly European and competitive’ freight market
EUROPE: BLS Cargo CEO Dirk Stahl was elected as President of the European Rail Freight Association at its board meeting on November 20. Maciej Gladyga, director of Poland’s Land Transport Chamber of Commerce, was elected as Vice-President of the organisation which represents new entrants to the freight ...
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NewsFederal funds to boost Queensland projects
AUSTRALIA: The federal government has committed to increase funding for several railway projects in Queensland, as part of an A$3·8bn package of infrastructure spending announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on November 21. Described by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as a ‘huge win’, the announcement followed lengthy ...
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NewsMaine acquisition as CP looks coast-to-coast again
INTERNATIONAL: Canadian Pacific has agreed to acquire the Central Maine & Quebec Railway from Fortress Transportation & Infrastructure Investors LLC, the two companies announced on November 20. CMQ operates a 774 km network in Québec and Maine, largely comprising the former Canadian Atlantic Railway and Banger & ...
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NewsAgreement to increase exports of Russian food to China by rail
ASIA: An agreement for the joint development of rail services to deliver Russian food products to China has been signed by RZD Logistics and YuXinOu (Chongqing) Logistics. The companies plan to expand the geographic range of the existing Agroexpress service, with a series of shipments to ...
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NewsFirst order for Vectron Dual Mode brings 'the best of two worlds'
GERMANY: Railsystems RP has become the first customer for Siemens Mobility’s Vectron Dual Mode electro-diesel locomotive, with an order announced on November 18 for two to be delivered at the end of 2020. Announced at InnoTrans 2018 and unveiled at the manufacturer’s München-Allach plant in March this ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Rail Cargo Group has launched a thrice-weekly Wels – Wien – Budapest service under its TransFER brand in co-operation with Kombiverkehr. The Finnish subsidiary of Estonia’s Operail has signed long-term agreements to lease 195 wood chip wagons to forest product customers including Metsä Group. ...
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NewsGazpromtrans orders molten sulphur wagons
RUSSIA: Gazprom subsidiary Gazpromtrans has awarded United Wagon a contract to supply a further 120 tank wagons for the transport of molten sulphur. The latest firm order announced on October 29 follows from a contract for 60 which was agreed in August, taking the total value to ...
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NewsRail and sea from China to Germany with a single waybill
INTERNATIONAL: Containers of consumer and industrial goods which had left Xi’an on November 1 bound for Hamburg arrived at the Mukran ferry terminal on Germany’s Baltic Sea island of Rügen on November 12, having travelled by rail to Baltysk in Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and then by sea. ...
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NewsFinnish open access operator expands fleet
FINLAND: Open access freight operator Fenniarail has placed a firm order for CZ Loko to supply an EffiShunter 1600 Co-Co diesel-electric loco in 2020, with an option for six more. The Czech manufacturer supplied five similar machines to Fenniarail in 2015 and 2017. The 1 524 mm ...
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NewsFaster China to Europe freight service launched
INTERNATIONAL: In response to growing demand for rail freight services between Europe and Asia, DHL Global Forwarding has launched what it says is be the fastest rail connection between China and Germany. It has also opened three additional Rail Competence Centres at Le Havre, Felixstowe and Genova ...
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NewsMillet AFR resumes wagon manufacturing
FRANCE: Manufacturing of new wagons has resumed at the former Arbel-Fauvet-Rail plant in Douai, following the acquisition of the business by wagon leasing group Millet SA, the company confirmed on November 12. Assembly of grain wagons began in October, and the construction of tank wagons is expected to restart in ...
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NewsMetrans receives first of 10 Vectron locomotives
EUROPE: The first of 10 Siemens Mobility Vectron MS locomotives which Hamburger Hafen & Logistik subsidiary Metrans ordered in April was handed over at the operator’s Praha container terminal on November 11. It entered service the following day, hauling a container train from Česká Třebová to Krems ...
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NewsNational Railways of Zimbabwe orders Russian wagons
ZIMBABWE: National Railways of Zimbabwe has signed an agreement for United Wagon Co to supply 100 open wagons. They are scheduled to be delivered within 12 months of NRZ finalising an export loan with the assistance of the Russian supplier. The 1 067 mm gauge wagons are ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Estonia’s Operail has begun operating some freight services without an assistant accompanying the driver. This follows modifications to an initial loco, with four more to follow this year. ‘This is a very big step towards making rail freight more efficient’, said Chairman Raul Toomsalu. ‘During the project ...