On March 26 Israel Railways opened a 5 km rail link between Haifa East and Haifa Bay port. The port terminal has four tracks with an overall length of 3 km and can handle up to three trains simultaneously.
Nymwag has handed over the first 30 of 300 Zacns 88 JET tank wagons ordered by Ermewa in November 2024.
KiwiRail has welcomed the New Zealand government’s decision to procure two new rail-enabled ferries for use on the Interislander route from 2029. A contract for Hyundai Mipo Dockyard to supply two ships was terminated last year. ‘We did an international search for any suitable second-hand ships to buy or lease that would meet modern safety and environmental standards. None were available’, said KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy on March 31. ‘The decision to go with rail-enabled ferries gives our freight customers the confidence to include rail in their investment decisions enabling them to release capital to higher earning alternatives.’
Captrain Deutschland Managing Director Henrik Würdemann has been elected Chair of Die Güterbahnen, an association of 110 private, regional and international rail freight companies in Germany. He said ’rail freight is not only a climate-friendly but also an economical alternative to road. Economic efficiency on the railway requires competition, and competition requires fair conditions. The industry can only achieve this jointly.’
British manufacturer WH Davis has won a contract to supply Ireland’s Iarnród Éireann with up to 400 wagons worth €120m over 10 years.
Aon has joined the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association‘s member discount programme as the exclusive provider of pre-hire recruitment assessment services. Aon helps customers transition from minimal or no assessments to using data analytics and reporting. ’Adopting proven candidate screening procedures that measure the critical skills needed for safety and success on the job will help our members select and retain the best candidates’, said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker on April 2.
Uzbekistan’s national railway UTY has begun sending 12 O’zbekiston electric locomotives designed by Siemens and built in China in 2003-04 to CRRC for modernisation.
Private freight operator Metrans is receiving a fifth batch of 10 Vectron MS electric locos from Siemens Mobility. They have the A17 country package (D/A/PL/CZ/SK/H/SI/HR/RS) and bring the number of modern multi-system electric locos in the Metrans fleet to 90.
Slovak operator Budamar Logistics has leased two Newag E6MST Dragon 2 six-axle electric locos from Akiem for two years.
Caroline Healey took office as Administrator of Ship & Rail Compensation Canada for a five-year term on March 31, succeeding Mark Gauthier. The body ensures efficient compensation for individuals and communities affected by oil spills from ships trains. ‘I will continue to improve access to justice and enhance our preparedness, to ensure those impacted receive the compensation they deserve’, she said. ‘Our commitment remains clear: to deliver fair and timely compensation while removing the financial burden on taxpayers.’