PKP Cargo has exercised an option for Siemens Mobility in Warszawa to undertake P4 period overhauls of the first 12 of 25 Vectron MS locomotives delivered in 2015-22. ‘We are looking forward to developing our cooperation with PKP Cargo for the next few years, especially in the area of locomotive service, where we ensure the highest level of vehicle availability offered on the market’, said Piotr Haremza, director of Siemens Mobility’s Polish servicing division.
Logistics company Schneider has completed the transition of its western USA intermodal rail operations to Union Pacific. ‘We believe the move in the west means we can offer our customers a distinct differentiator in the market’, said Schneider’s President of Transportation & Logistics Jim Filter. ‘The combination of more coast-to-coast connections and being the first fully asset-based carrier with company drivers, company-owned containers and company-owned chassis to operate on the railroad will result in more consistent service and less time in transit.’
In December ČD Cargo organised the transport of six covered vans containing humanitarian aid including power generators and room heaters from Praha to the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Mykolaiv.
ÖBB Rail Cargo Group has transported more than a million tonnes of grain from Ukraine to central and southern Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and its GrainLane online marketplace now has more than 1 000 users trading corn, soy, wheat and other agricultural products. The biggest commodities transported were cereals and corn, followed by sugar and oilseed rape, with the main importing countries being Hungary and Germany, followed by Italy, Romania and Austria.
On January 1 Hupac Group took over the management of HGK Häfen & Güterverkehr Köln’s Terminal Köln Nord under a contract awarded in November. Located near a motorway junction and connected to the Rhein port of Köln Niehl by rail, the 152 000 m2 TKN has five transhipment tracks and three gantry cranes, and can handle 10 trains per day.
Transmashholding has delivered 200 type 13-9744-06 flat wagons of 73 tonne capacity to Kazakhstan.
Austria’s 760 mm gauge Zillertalbahn carried 200 000 tonnes of wood between January and November 2022.
Thorsten Dieter stepped down from the DB Cargo management board on December 31, and will join DB Netz on February 1.
CRRC’s Meishan plant has produced 50 Type C70E-L wagons incorporating a patented braking system for use on the China – Laos railway, as part of an order for 300 wagons. In its first year of operation traffic on the line has seen traffic grow to include more than 1 200 types of goods, including electronics, iron ore, cassava flour, rubber and refrigerated fruit.
Union Pacific has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America benchmark of governance, economic, environmental and social criteria for the first time. ‘Railroads are the most environmentally responsible way to transport ground freight, and we are committed to further reducing our carbon footprint, working hand in hand with our customers and communities to ensure a shared sustainable future’, said Beth Whited, EVP Sustainability & Strategy.