Estonian operator Operail‘s C30-M diesel shunting locomotives have been approved for main line freight haulage. ’The introduction of C30-M locomotives as line service locomotives simplifies our operations and allows us to offer our customers a more flexible, efficient, and likely more cost-effective service’, said board member Merle Kurvits.
Watco has begun operating the North Bergen Transload Terminal in New Jersey for the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway. The terminal connects with Class I railways Norfolk Southern and CSX, as well as major roads.
In late 2024 Rail Cargo Group will take delivery of three Stadler EuroDual electro-diesel locomotives leased from European Loc Pool. They will mainly be used to haul TransFLEX services in Germany and on routes to Austria; a further 10 locos could be leased for use in Germany, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.
BNSF has completed a multi-year project to increase capacity at its Belen site in Becker, New Mexico, which serves as its primary hub for fuelling and inspections between Los Angeles and Chicago. This is expected to improve capacity through the Southern Transcon route by 30%. Belen is ‘the heartbeat of our Southern Transcon, accounting for about a quarter of BNSF’s entire fuel usage and 25% of our volume’, said VP of Service Design Jon Gabriel on August 7.
Künz has been awarded a €31m contract to supply six gantry cranes for the Milano Smistamento terminal which the TerAlp joint venture of FS Group and Hupac is developing in northern Italy for opening in 2026.
The US Federal Railroad Administration has published technical reports on the Short Line Safety Institute’s 2023 Systematic Review; Full-Scale Shell Impact Test of a DOT-105J500W Tank Car Designed to Carry Liquid Carbon Dioxide; Defect Growth Characterization in Modern Rail Steel; and Risk Analysis Methodology for Unit and Manifest Trains Transporting Hazardous Material.
In June and July subsidiaries of CRRC were awarded wagon contracts by China State Railway Group and Simfer Infraco Guinée totalling 8·2bn yuan.
Norfolk Southern has appointed three industry veterans with precision scheduled railroading experience to lead its Transportation team. Tim Livingston was VP Operations for Canadian Pacific Kansas City, and joins NS as SVP Transportation & Network Operations. Reporting to him will be NS’s Rodney Moore, VP Transportation for the Northern region, and Dewayne Swindall, VP Transportation for the Southern region. NS said the structure would accelerate operational improvements, place leaders closer to operations and leverage strategic consulting from Mack Barker.
California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District has adopted the Freight Rail Yards Indirect Source Rule which will require yard owners and operators to report on the planning, development and use of zero-emission infrastructure to support state regulations and meet broader federal and state zero-emission goals. It will become effective after the Environmental Protection Agency approves the Rail Yards ISR and California Air Resources Board’s associated rules on locomotives and drayage lorry fleets.