Freight news – Page 15
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NewsDesert railway upgrading aims to double iron ore capacity
MAURITANIA: The African Development Bank has approved a US$150m loan to state-owned iron ore firm Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière to support a US$467m programme to double the capacity of its heavy haul railway by 2030. Plans include the acquisition of up to 36 locomotives and ...
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In depthNorth America: Keeping track of long freight trains
As the rail sector increasingly embraces longer trains to drive efficiencies, advanced telematics are helping to ensure safety and reduce maintenance costs, opening up the prospect of intelligent and more sustainable rail freight transport.
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In depthSoutheast Europe: Reforms offer a route to Georgian revival
After a long period of neglect, railways in Georgia are undergoing reform at a time when they stand to benefit from east-west trade moving via the Transcaucasian route between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
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Rail Business UKLow-emission depot shunters in services at steel works
UK: GB Railfreight has put three Zephir LOK 16.300 depot shunters into service moving steel billets from an electric arc furnace to rolling mills at Celsa Steel’s Cardiff site. They are leased from Porterbrook, which said shunters with EU Stage V compliant diesel engines and able ...
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NewsEuropean Commission approves Dutch ETCS grants to promote modal shift
NETHERLANDS: The European Commission has approved under EU State aid rules a €41m Dutch scheme to promote the shift of freight from road to rail by providing direct grants for the installation of upgraded versions of ETCS onboard equipment. The scheme will run from January 1 2025 ...
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Rail Business UKRedundant coal wagons to be converted for construction traffic
UK: WH Davis is to convert coal wagons owned by leasing company Porterbrook for use by Freightliner to transport aggregates. ’This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what can be achieved by giving redundant fleets a purpose for the next 30-plus years’, said WH Davis Managing ...
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NewsPortuguese border link partially reopened
PORTUGAL: Rail services have resumed on a section of the Beira Alta line in the north of the country, which provides the principal connection between the Porto – Lisboa main line and the Spanish border at Vilar Formoso. The resumption of traffic on the 38 km ...
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NewsNevomo and Captrain launch MagRail Booster trials on steelworks railway
GERMANY: Rail automation and maglev start-up Nevomo and freight operator Captrain Group have launched practical trials of the MagRail Booster concept at a steelworks in Bremen. The trials will be undertaken by the Hansebahn Bremen joint venture of Captrain Deutschland and steel company ArcelorMittal Bremen which ...
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NewsLithuanian operator orders electric locos for a ‘new era’ of rail freight
LITHUANIA: The national railway’s freight business LTG Cargo has awarded Stadler a contract to supply 17 six-axle electric locomotives, along with spare parts and three years of maintenance. There is an option for 17 more locos. The €115·7m contract announced on December 16 is Stadler’s first ...
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NewsNew owner seeks to kick-start growth as Estonian rail freight privatisation completed
ESTONIA: New owner Tiigi Keskus plans to expand the activities of privatised rail freight operator Operail, with management board member Richard Tomingas saying ‘at first glance, it seems that we must kick-start container transport’. He predicted that ‘looking to the future, the importance of rail will ...
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NewsFuel cells orders for passenger and freight traction
NORTH AMERICA: Ballard Power Systems has signed two agreements to supply fuel cells for use on freight locomotives in Canada and passenger trains in the USA. On December 5 Ballard announced a long-term supply agreement to provide Canadian Pacific Kansas City with 200 kW fuel cells ...
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NewsMexico to invest 157bn pesos in railway expansion in 2025
MEXICO: The government has announced plans to invest 157bn pesos in 2025 for the construction of new passenger railways and the development of freight operations on some parts of the network.
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Rail Business UKAluminium producer leases smart wagons
UK: VTG Rail UK has secured a 10-year wagon leasing agreement with new customer Alvance British Aluminium, which will take on 20 JPA powder tank wagons retrofitted with VTG’s iWagon technology. The wagons are expected to be used by Alvance from June 2025, carrying alumina powder ...
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NewsAutonomous track geometry measurement supports iron ore railway
BRAZIL: ENSCO Rail has deployed its Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System on the metre gauge Vitória a Minas iron ore railway operated by mining company Vale. ATGMS provides continuous autonomous measurement of track geometry, enabling the operator to monitor conditions in real-time and make data-driven maintenance ...
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NewsMatchmaking platform for locomotives goes live
EUROPE: A digital tool which aims to streamline the freight locomotive leasing business by matching operators’ demand with leasing companies’ availability has gone live. Resource Sharing Broker aims to increase the efficiency of short and medium-term locomotive leasing, which the developers said is often characterised by ...
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NewsCambodia’s Royal Railway expands fleet
CAMBODIA: Railway concessionaire Royal Railway has taken delivery of additional locomotives and wagons, and has put into service a fleet of diesel multiple-units acquired from Japan. Two YDM-4 metre-gauge diesel locos which arrived from India in November ‘will greatly improve our ability to ...
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NewsGenesee & Wyoming launches Red Deer Railway
CANADA: Genesee & Wyoming Inc has launched Red Deer Railway Ltd, its first railway in western Canada. GWI acquired the assets and other rights from Canadian Pacific Kansas City as part of the transaction which saw CPKC and CSX acquire lines operated by G&W’s Meridian & ...
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NewsDB Cargo state aid approved
GERMANY: The European Commission has concluded that Germany’s provision of €1·9bn to support the national railway’s freight business DB Cargo is in line with EU state aid rules. Following a complaint from a competitor, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation in January 2022 looking at four ...