EUROPE: Mining company Kaunis Iron has awarded Railcare a long-term contract to transport iron ore from the terminal at Pitkäjärvi in Sweden to the Norwegian port of Narvik.
The SKr740m contract announced on December 1 runs for 10 years from November 16 2021, and will see Railcare operate two trains per day, seven days a week and transport approximately 2·3 million tonnes per annum.
The deal follows on from the current contract which has seen Railcare operate the services since 2018. Kaunis Iron owns the helix-dump wagons that are used, while the main line and shunting locomotives are provided by Railcare. As well as train operations, the contractor is responsible for planning and shunting at the Pitkäjärvi terminal where the ore is transferred from lorry to train.
‘We have now transported 1 400 shipments of iron ore for Kaunis Iron since August 2018 and I am delighted that Kaunis Iron has continued confidence in our transport operations’, said Railcare Group CEO Daniel Öholm. The 10-year duration of the contract provides stability, he said, and ‘shows that Railcare can deliver good solutions to our customers, especially when it comes to special transport.’
