FREIGHT
28 Jul 2008 | Don't re-regulate rail freight
REGULATION: Rail has a major role to play in reducing energy use and addressing environmental concerns in North America, but proposals being debated in the US Congress to increase regulation of the sector could halt much-needed investment in additional capacity, argues Ed Hamberger. More...
25 Jul 2008 | Arcapita now owns Freightliner
UK: Clearance from the European Commission has enabled investment bank Arcapita to acquire the entire issued share capital of Freightliner Group Ltd. Completion of the deal took place on July 24, and Arcapita now has outright ownership of Freightliner Group and its subsidiaries. The shares were prev More...
24 Jul 2008 | Coal loco commissioning underway
AUSTRALIA: The first two of 45 Class 3800 locomotives being supplied to QR by Siemens will enter service on coal trains in the Goonyella region next month. The 1067 mm gauge 25 kV AC electric locos are being commissioned at QR's Jilalan depot, having arrived in Brisbane on June 23 after a 43-day vo More...
24 Jul 2008 | Heavy haul in the high north
CANADA: Within a few years, Baffin Island in the Arctic archipelago will see construction of the world's most northerly railway, currently being designed by Canarail. The harsh environment poses daunting challenges in terms of design, construction and operation. More...
17 Jul 2008 | Boosting operational efficiency in Urumqi
CHINA: Trials with Lean Production techniques at Chinese Railways' Urumqi Railway Bureau demonstrated significant improvements in productivity and the efficiency of railway operations, allowing CR to handle increased traffic with fewer resources. More...
16 Jul 2008 | Globaltrans to establish Ukrainian subsidiary
UKRAINE: On July 15 the board of Russian private freight operator Globaltrans approved the creation of a Ukrainian subsidiary. 'In line with the growth strategy we presented during our recent IPO, we believe that Ukraine provides significant current and future opportunities', said Globaltran More...
14 Jul 2008 | Fortescue opens the world's heaviest haul railway
AUSTRALIA: A remarkable iron ore railway has been built across the Pilbara region in record time. John Kirk reports. More...
03 Jul 2008 | Court rules against TCI
USA: A district court judge in New York has ruled that two hedge funds seeking greater influence over CSX policy 'deliberately violated' US securities law. The court denied the railroad's request for an injunction to prevent the funds from voting their shares at the CSX annual meeting on June 25, al More...
03 Jul 2008 | GE wins US$60m signalling contract
BRAZIL: Mining company Vale has awarded GE Transportation a US$60m contract to overhaul signalling and communication systems on the EFVM network. To be completed by 2010, the project covers the port of Tubarão and 600 km of metre-gauge double track between Vitória and iron ore mines in the state o More...
02 Jul 2008 | KiwiRail launch marks end of 'failed' privatisation
NEW ZEALAND: Prime Minister Helen Clark unveiled KiwiRail as the name for the rail and ferry operations which were transferred from Toll New Zealand into government ownership on July 1. Services will initially be unchanged, with KiwiRail controlled by an establishment board chaired by former Prime More...
