COLOMBIA: Last month Brazilian mining firm Vale expected to begin using the Atlantic railway network to carry up to 3·5 million tonnes of coal a year between its mines and Puerto Córdoba.

Vale bought a 8·4% stake in railway concessionaire Fenoco in April, and has built a 7 km link to its mines and a 3 km route giving access to the Rio Córdoba port, which it also owns. The miner expects the switch from road to rail haulage will cut transport cost per tonne by around a half.