Pinsly Railroad Co‘s Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad and Grenada Railroad have joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a collaboration between the US Environmental Protection Agency and industry that provides a framework to assess the environmental and energy efficiency of supply chains. This ’is one tool in our broader emissions reduction plan where we are prioritising practical solutions that provide meaningful mitigation of greenhouse gases in our operations and in the transportation sector’, said CEO Ryan Ratledge. ‘We are investing in projects that drive freight traffic from truck to rail, while also working to reduce and offset our own locomotive emissions.’
KiwiRail’s project to reopen the mothballed line between Kauri north of Whangārei and Otiria is to remain on hold so that it can be co-ordinated with design work for the new 19 km Marsden Point Rail Link. The Otiria project was initially paused for community engagement, and then in 2023 resources were redirected to repairing storm damage to the line south of Whangārei. Detailed plans for the Marsden Point Rail Link are to be submitted to the New Zealand government by mid-2025.
On June 11 Industrial Realty Group’s inland Port of Nevada launched an intermodal service for imports and exports in collaboration with Union Pacific, CMA CGM Group and the Port of Oakland. ‘Direct rail access between Reno and the West Coast significantly increases the amount of freight that can be shipped’, said Stuart Lichter, President of the Port of Nevada and IRG. ‘This collaborative venture will provide our clients with a more efficient, reliable, and environmentally sensitive way to transport goods.’
The Chinese city of Jinhua and Kazakh national railway KTZ have signed an MoU for the joint development of terminals to promote transit freight.
Norfolk Southern has selected a team led by TranSystems and including The Roderick Group, GSG Consultants, Interra and Pin Point Precision to provide construction management services for the $37m Chicago Region Environmental & Transportation Efficiency programme’s Pullman Junction Interlocking Improvement Project. ‘NS looks forward to modernising this heavily travelled railroad junction where three short line railroads currently crisscross NS traffic’, said NS Engineer Planning Jeff Page on June 13.
Colas Rail UK and Colas held a Journey to Net Zero Conference on June 5 bringing together suppliers to discuss sustainability. ‘The innovation exhibition was extremely popular amongst delegates, as it gave them practical solutions to decarbonise our industry, whilst also giving the SMEs the business opportunity they deserved for being forward thinking in low carbon innovation’, said Colas Rail UK Safety & Sustainability Director Paul Taylor.
Kazakhstan’s national railway KTZ reports that rail freight traffic with China totalled 12·8 million tonnes from January to May 2024, up 12·4% on the same period in 2023.
Following a successful six-month pilot, Ocean Network Express UK and Freightliner have extended their commitment to power trains using 100% renewable HVO100 fuel made from raw materials such as vegetable oils, waste-based fat and oil from the food industry. Freightliner said HVO can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% and is ‘the best alternative to conventional diesel’.
After the national rail freight operator’s first application, Responsible Business Forum Estonia has awarded Operail bronze certification for practices which ensure sustainability of the business, society and the state. ‘The bronze level label shows that we are on the right track’, said Operail board member Merle Kurvits, ‘and now we also have clearer goals to pursue’.
Chemvest Holdings has acquired a site at Liberty Development Partners’ Gulf Inland Logistics Park east of Houston which is served by both BNSF and Union Pacific.
US terminal operator Rail Modal Group has appointed Todd Whitmore as Chief Commercial Officer and Zach Christinson as Chief Operating Officer. Whitmore joins after 27 years at BNSF and Christinson from P5.
