Freight news – Page 105
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NewsDB sets out five-point improvement plan
GERMANY: Passengers travelling with Deutsche Bahn can expect to see better punctuality and performance later this year thanks to a package of ‘step-by-step’ improvements announced on January 17. Presented to Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer and other government representatives by CEO Dr Richard Lutz on January 17, and board members Ronald ...
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NewsErmewa buys intermodal wagon fleet
EUROPE: SNCF’s wagon leasing subsidiary Ermewa announced on January 14 that it had acquired the intermodal fleet of Macquarie European Rail. The fleet comprises almost 600 vehicles made up of 60 ft, 80 ft and 90 ft container wagons. Ermewa says that the acquisition would ‘further strengthen’ its position in ...
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Rail Business UKEurotunnel calls for clarity on post-Brexit border
EUROPE: Channel Tunnel concessionaire Eurotunnel has called on political leaders to clarify ‘as soon as possible’ the nature of the border relationship and controls that will exist following the UK’s expected departure from the EU, which is currently set to occur on March 29. Eurotunnel’s call came immediately after a ...
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NewsPoland upgrades border facilities to handle Eurasian freight boom
EUROPE: Polish infrastructure manager PKP PLK has called tenders for the design of a planned upgrade of freight facilities at Terespol, on the Polish side of the border with Belarus at Brest on the Moscow – Minsk – Warszawa – Berlin corridor. The growth of freight traffic from Asia to ...
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NewsWork starts on Mandalay – Kunming study
MYANMAR: A joint team of local and Chinese engineers has started work on ground surveys to finalise the alignment for the planned 431 km rail link from Mandalay to the Chinese border at Muse. Intended to link Myanmar with Kunming, the line is being promoted as part of the China-Myanmar ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Italian infrastructure manager RFI has completed a €2·1m remodelling of Monfalcone station on the Trieste – Venezia route to accommodate 750 m long freight trains as part of the Modulo 750 programme. Similar work was previously undertaken at Tarvisio, Carnia and Tarcento, and Gorizia station is to follow this year. ...
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NewsCo-operation to promote Eurasian rail freight
INTERNATIONAL: The International Union of Railways and freight association FERRMED signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting a more efficient and sustainable Eurasian logistics chain during the 23rd UIC general assembly which was held in Paris last month. The two organisations aim to exchange knowledge and best practice to ...
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NewsDangerous goods regulations updated
INTERNATIONAL: The latest version of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail came into force on January 1. RID 2019 replaces the 2017 edition, which may continue to be used during a transitional period running to June 30. RID applies to the international carriage of dangerous ...
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NewsCompetitive Freight Wagon deployment to be planned
EUROPE: Wagon leasing company Ermewa is to draw up a deployment concept for innovative wagons to support the business case for investment in vehicles which are being developed under the Competitive Freight Wagon research initiative. Backed by the EU Shift2Rail research programme, the Competitive Freight Wagon consortium includes technology company ...
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NewsExport drive expected as Chinese market loses momentum
CHINA: While the demand for railway technology is expected to continue at a high level for the next five years, the Chinese market has lost momentum and is not expected to grow, according to a new study by German consultants SCI Verkehr. This may put pressure on Chinese suppliers to ...
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NewsCN and CP exceed grain revenue entitlements
CANADA: The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled that Canadian National and Canadian Pacific exceeded their maximum grain revenue entitlements for the crop year running from August 2017 to July 2018. The Canada Transportation Act requires the CTA to set an annual limit to the average revenue per tonne which the ...
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NewsLocomotives delivered to Tunisia
TUNISIA: National railway SNCFT has taken delivery of the first 10 of 20 EMD Type GT42AC diesel locomotives which are being supplied by Progress Rail under a 165m dinar contract awarded in December 2016. The locomotives are being produced at Progress Rail’s site in Muncie, Indiana. Numbered 060DS651 to ...
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Rail Business UKElectro-diesel multiple-units ordered for postal services
UK: Leasing company Porterbrook is to supply Rail Operations Group with two Flex electro-diesel multiple-units equipped to carry postal and other just-in-time light freight traffic. Delivery is planned for early 2020. The trains are to be rebuilt from Class 319 EMUs formerly used on Thameslink passenger services, and will be ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
At the end of December Aurizon delivered the first coal from MACH Energy’s new Mount Pleasant mine in the Hunter Valley to AGL’s Antiene power station in New South Wales. ‘We have been working collaboratively over the past couple of months to test the loading of trains at the Mount ...
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NewsRio Tinto completes AutoHaul autonomous train project
AUSTRALIA: Rio Tinto has announced the successful deployment of its AutoHaul technology for the autonomous operation of iron ore trains in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, creating what the mining company said was ‘the world’s largest robot and first automated heavy-haul, long-distance rail network’. Deployment of the ATO over ...
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NewsXinjiang coal railway inaugurated
CHINA: The 435 km Hongnao Railway in the Xinjiang region was formally opened to traffic on January 1. Approved by the National Development & Reform Commission in 2014, the line is one of the longest in China to be developed using private investment. Running from Naomaohu in the Hami ...
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NewsLocomotives refurbished for Rail Cargo Carrier Croatia
CROATIA: Testing has begun of the first of three Class 2062 diesel locomotives which were acquired from HŽ Cargo by National Railway Equipment Co and refurbished by TŽV Gredelj for lease to Rail Cargo Group’s local subsidiary Rail Cargo Carrier Croatia. Changes to the locomotives dating from 1973 include modifications ...
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NewsConcrete Canvas eliminates weeds at Rotterdam inspection point
NETHERLANDS: Concrete Canvas geosynthetic cementitious composite matting has been installed on sections of track at the Rotterdam World Gateway site to prevent the growth of weeds which could obstruct the optical character recognition systems used to identify containers on passing freight trains Concrete Canvas comprises a three-dimensional fibre matrix containing ...
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NewsMetafrax orders methanol tank wagons
RUSSIA: Metafrax has awarded United Wagon Co’s TikhvinChemMash plant a contract to supply a further 100 Type 15-6880 methanol tank wagons by May, saying the decision was taken following the good operating performance of a previous batch. The chemical producer currently has more than 400 1-T and Tpr tank wagons. ...
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NewsTransNamib and Botswana Railways sign container terminal MoU
NAMIBIA: National railway TransNamib and its Botswana counterpart Botswana Railways have signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of a container terminal at Gobabis. Located around 110 km west of Namibia’s border with Botswana, Gobabis is the terminus of a 1 067 mm gauge line from the port of ...