Lobito Atlantic Railway has begun exporting copper from the DR Congo’s Copperbelt to the USA, using rail for the six-day journey from Kolwezi to the port of Lobito in Angola. This follows a number of shipments of copper to Europe and the Far East since LAR took over the rail concession in January.
Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail reports that a cost-benefit analysis has found that in peacetime the future 1 435 mm gauge line would enable a single 40-wagon train to replace a 7 km long road convoy transporting heavy military equipment such as tanks and armoured vehicles. ‘Connecting the Baltic States to our western allies through the north-south railway axis must be our strategic priority as enhanced capabilities project a power of deterrence in times of geopolitical sensitivity and volatility’, said Vice-Chair of the management board Kitija Gruškevica on August 20.
A ceremony on August 7 marked the completion of work to modernise railway facilities at Naibabad on the 75 km line from Uzbekistan to Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. The work was carried out by the Sogdiana Trans subsidiary of Uzbek national operator UTY which operates the line under contract to the Afghanistan Railway Authority.
ADIF has awarded contracts worth €78m to increase clearances for piggyback services on the 1 668 mm gauge Madrid – Zaragoza route. Contratas y Ventas Convensa, Ferrovial Construcción, Vías y Construcciones and Agrupación Guinovart Obras y Servicios Hispania will work on the section between San Fernando de Henares and Santa María de Huerta. Tecsa Empresa Constructora y Dragados will cover the next section to Zaragoza.
TMH Intellectual Systems has installed a video system on locomotives and wagons used by Kazakh coal mining company Bogatyr Komir. This provides the driver with clearer views up to 100 m ahead when propelling trains of 13 dump cars, and works in the dark and in bad weather.
Wagon manufacturer FreightCar America has expanded into the tank wagon conversion market, which it said marks ‘a key milestone in the company’s ongoing efforts to diversify’. Its Castaños plant in Mexico is to upgrade more than 1 000 DOT 111 tank cars to the DOT 117R standard over two years period, with a new exterior tank jacket, thermal protection, full height head shields, top fittings protection and upgraded bottom outlet valves.
Tajikistan’s national railway ROT has purchased 27 wagons from Russia, according to Transport Minister Azim Ibrohim, but needs around 1 000 more as well as three locomotives.
Following testing, Novotrans has obtained certification enabling the series production of its own open wagons at its Biysk factory. The Type 12-6774 wagons have 23·5 tonne axle load Type 18-6775 bogies, a capacity of 69·5 tonnes and a service life of 22 years. Novotrans has a fleet of more than 25 000 open wagons and is beginning in-house manufacturing to meet its own needs.
The València Port Authority has awarded Tecsa Empresa Constructora and Dragados a €11·5m 18-month contract to lay a second track between the Poniente and Levante quays and to install dual gauge on both tracks. The work is being undertaken in anticipation of an expected increase in rail freight traffic following the extension of 1 435 mm gauge tracks as part of the Mediterranean Corridor.