Australia: Australia Southern Railroad has secured long-term contracts from Australian Wheat Board, Australian Barley Board and South Australia Cooperative Bulk Handling, which is to upgrade loading facilities at Bowmans and Gladstone. Trains of up to 50 grain wagons will use the Tailem Bend - Pinnaroo line converted to standard gauge.
Austria: Plastics manufacturer Senoplast is seeking an open-access concession to operate freight trains on the 762mm gauge line from Zell am See to Krimml after ÖBB withdraws the service.
Bangladesh: Indian Railways expects to restore freight services on the Bongaon - Petrapol cross-border line to Bangladesh in June, with passenger services following later; the 5 km link has been out of use since the early 1950s.
Canada: CP’s St Lawrence & Hudson subsidiary has signed a letter of intent to transfer its St Luc loco and wagon maintenance facility in Montreal to Progress Rail Services Corp of the USA.
ATM’s Blainville commuter services have been extended from their Park Avenue/ Jean Talon terminus to Windsor station in the centre of Montreal.
Europe: A new grouping of European Combined Transport Operators has been formed to lobby for practical improvements and political support for international intermodal traffic.
Intercontainer-Interfrigo has launched HansaCityLink to move containers, swap bodies and trailers between Germany and Sweden. Using connections, the service links Berlin, Hamburg, Mannheim and Nürnberg with Aarsta, ??lmhult, J
