Wiener Lokalbahnen Cargo has joined the European Rail Freight Association. WLC General Manager, Judith Fiala said ’co-operation in our industry is crucial for the entire sector, especially during the challenging times we are all facing in rail business’.
On January 1 Lineas and Hupac Intermodal began co-operating on Zeebrugge – Milano routes, with Lineas as traction provider and Hupac offering intermodal services. This is ‘a significant opportunity to deliver added value to the market by uniting the expertise of two leading companies’, said Hupac Intermodal CEO Michail Stahlhut. ‘We appreciate the possibility to run our Belgium – Italy connection both via Germany and via France, and to serve terminals both in the east and the west of Milano. This is a way to increase the resilience and performance of intermodal transport.’
Speaking at a joint press conference with Iran‘s President Masoud Pezeshkian following Russian-Iranian talks, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said ’we place great emphasis on co-operation in the transport sector, particularly expanding mutual railway freight operations. Promising opportunities are opening up in connection with the international North-South transport corridor. Discussions are ongoing regarding the construction of its Rasht – Astara railway section. Implementing this project would help establish seamless supply chain from Russia and Belarus to Iranian ports in the Gulf.’
USD Partners expects to complete the sale of the Hardisty Rail Terminal in Alberta, its last remaining operating asset, by mid-April. It will then have sold substantially all of its assets, but it expects to have remaining borrowings which it expects lenders will write off following which it intends to take steps to wind down or dissolve.
RENFE Mercancías has ended its international operations on the 1 435 mm gauge Barcelona - Perpignan high speed line. Its sole remaining service was a four times a week intermodal train from Barcelona to Ludwigshafen operated for Kombiverkehr. In mid-January the service was taken over by Transfesa.
On January 13 French investment fund Lazard Investissement Microcaps purchased 2 593 847 Nurminen Logistics shares, taking its total holding to 3·31% of Nurminen Logistics’ share capital. ‘Nurminen Logistics’ interest among international investors and customers is growing, as the company can implement growth projects in the rapidly developing international rail traffic’, said Nurminen Logistics CEO Olli Pohjanvirta.
Medlog has agreed to lease spaces at the Vicálvaro and Abroñigal logistics complexes in Madrid from infrastructure manager ADIF. The Abroñigal contract runs for one year, and at Vicálvaro for 20 months. Medlog has agreed to invest €7m in completing the western terminal at Vicálvaro, which is currently being redeveloped as a major logistics hub, and will use facilities at Abroñigal while the work is underway.