Freight news – Page 126
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NewsPacific concession could revert to state
COLOMBIA: During the course of a public hearing held on August 3, national infrastructure agency ANI declared the concession held by Ferrocarril del Pacífico SAS to have lapsed. The concession covers the upgrading, maintenance and operation of freight services on the Buenaventura — Cali, Cali — La Felisa and Zarzal ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
A joint Russian-Latvian joint working group on railways which was formed in 2008 met for the first time in four years on August 2. The national railways agrees to continue to co-operate to increase the volume of freight from India and China, and to try to attract cross-border passenger traffic. ...
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NewsDB signs 100-locomotive framework for Rhein-Alpine freight corridor
EUROPE: The signing of a framework agreement for the supply of up to 100 Vectron multi-system electric freight locomotives with a €250m firm order for an initial 60 was announced by Deutsche Bahn and Siemens on August 4. The first five of the ETCS-equipped 6·4 MW locomotives with a maximum ...
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NewsGE reveals Indian Railways Evolution locomotive livery
INDIA: The livery of the Evolution Series diesel locomotives which GE Transportation is building for Indian Railways was unveiled on August 3 when the first painted locomotive was rolled out of the Erie plant’s paint shop. The ES43ACmi required 190 litres of paint, with the red chosen to represent energy ...
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NewsBelgrano upgrade completes first 100 km
ARGENTINA: Transport Minister Guillermo Dietrich announced on July 26 the completion of the first 100 km of track renewals under the programme to upgrade the 1 000 mm gauge Belgrano network for freight traffic. Under the first phase of the programme, track renewals are being undertaken on 535 km. The ...
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NewsSaudi Railway Co traffic grows
SAUDI ARABIA: North–South Railway operator Saudi Railway Co reports that it carried 4·06 million tonnes of phosphate and bauxite in the first half of 2017, a 27% increase on the same period in 2016. Each SAR freight train comprises three EMD locomotives and more than 160 wagons supplied by The ...
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NewsFashion is in rail freight
EUROPE: Transmec Group is expanding its rail freight services to meet growing demand, particularly from the fashion sector, and is investing €6m in 160 trailers, 100 swap bodies and 40 box containers for moving hanging garments. In addition to increasing capacity and frequencies on existing routes, this will enable ...
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NewsTGV resurgence in SNCF first half results
FRANCE: The SNCF group reported a €119m net profit in the first six months of 2017, driven by strong growth in high speed ridership.Amid concerns about the competitive threat facing the French national operator from long-distance buses and ride-sharing apps, SNCF reported on July 28 that overall group revenue was ...
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NewsNewag to modernise Polish broad gauge locomotives
POLAND: Broad gauge freight line operator PKP LHS and Newag signed a 95m złoty contract on July 26 covering the rebuilding of a further 10 ST44 diesel locomotives to the 311Da design. The modernised locomotives are expected to return to service between late March and the end of 2018. The ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
TMH Bryansk has completed acceptance testing of a prototype TEM28 six-axle heavy shunting locomotive. The modular design is expected to increase haulage capacity by 50% and reduce fuel consumption by 25%. State-owned freight operator Trenes Argentinos Cargas has signed a two-year contract with oil and petrochemicals company YPF for the ...
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NewsDB has the wind in its sails but its feet on the ground
GERMANY: ‘We can feel the wind in our sails, but we still have our feet firmly planted on the ground’, said Deutsche Bahn Chief Executive Dr Richard Lutz when presenting the group’s results for the first six months of 2017 on July 26. Lutz said the figures from the first ...
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NewsHigh-capacity vans delivered to Kuchukterminal
RUSSIA: United Wagon Co subsidiary TikhvinSpetsMash is supplying sodium sulphate producer Kuchuksulphat’s transport business Kuchukterminal with 20 covered vans designed to carry packaged and bulk loads for the chemical, glass, pulp and paper sectors. The Type 11-6874 van has 25 tonne axleload bogies and offers a maximum capacity of ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Rio Tinto reports that the Autohaul project to automate its heavy haul iron ore trains in the Pilbara region of Western Australia is ‘continuing to progress well’ and ‘on schedule to be completed by the end of 2018’. Around 20% of train-km are now being operated in autonomous mode, the ...
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NewsMore high speed in the Mediterranean Corridor
SPAIN: Tendering is to start in 2019 for a high speed line between Valencia and Castelló, according to Development Minister Íñigo de la Serna. Expected to cost €1·2bn, the 62 km double-track alignment is to be designed for operation at up to 350 km/h. Under the Mediterranean Corridor programme, a ...
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NewsCzech beer and crystal to China by rail
INTERNATIONAL: The first eastbound container service from Praha to Yiwu in China’s Zhejiang province left the Metrans container terminal at Praha-Uhříněves at 11.35 on July 19, carrying 40 wagons loaded with 80 containers of export goods including beer, crystal glass and automotive parts with a total value of US$5m. The ...
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NewsInland Rail consultation starts
AUSTRALIA: Another milestone for the long-planned Inland Rail corridor was reached on July 19, when the New South Wales state government released the Environmental Impact Statement for the Parkes – Narromine upgrading project in New South Wales. Project promoter ARTC says public consultation on the EIS will run until August ...
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NewsAlpenglow Rail acquires its first short line
CANADA: Alpenglow Rail announced the acquisition of its first rail business on July 12. VIP Rail is based at Sarnia in Ontario’s Chemical Valley region, and provides shunting, transloading, warehousing, road haulage and wagon storage, cleaning and repair services. Denver-based Alpenglow Rail was founded by former OmniTRAX executives Rich Montgomery, ...
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NewsWorld rail freight news round-up
Belgian infrastructure manager Infrabel has signed an agreement with Carmeuse to reopen a 3∙35 km section of Line 136 from its junction with Line 132 to a new limestone quarry at Hemptinne. Track had been lifted following closure in the 1980s, and the restored branch is due to enter service ...
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NewsSaskatchewan sells grain wagon fleet
CANADA: Three short lines in Saskatchewan have agreed to purchase Saskatchewan Grain Car Corp’s fleet of 898 hopper wagons from the provincial government for C$9·7m, an average of C$10 800 per wagon. The government decided to leave the wagon business and began the process of selling the wagons in March, ...
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NewsRailRunner to launch conventional train ahead of technology approval
EUROPE: The European subsidiary of US intermodal freight technology company RailRunner plans to launch its first service on July 31, linking Bratislava and Braunschweig. Traction is to be provided by ČD Cargo and EGP of Potsdam, with trains leaving the two termini at 19.00 each weekday and arriving around 12.00 ...