Freight news – Page 184
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NewsFreight One to order 15 000 wagons
RUSSIA: Modernisation of the national wagon fleet was one of the key tasks allocated to Freight One when it was created as a standalone subsidiary of Russian Railways in 2007. Freight One bought 8 000 wagons in 2009, almost half the total Russian output, and it plans to purchase ...
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NewsFuel cell testing begins
USA: BNSF has begun in-service testing of the experimental hydrogen fuel cell shunting locomotive developed in partnership with Vehicle Projects and the Department of Defense. The trials are being undertaken at the railway's yard in Commerce, California. 'As far as we know, this is the first hydrogen fuel cell locomotive ...
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NewsRack superpower for Brazilian freight line
BRAZIL: Stadler Rail is to supply MRS Logística with what the manufacturer claims will be the most powerful rack-and-pinion locomotives ever built. The 5 MW locomotives will haul freight trains on the 9 km steeply-graded section of the 1 600 mm gauge line from São Paulo to the port of ...
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NewsDeal cleared
EUROPE: The European Commission has given the go-ahead for Genève-based wagon leasing firm Financière Ermewa to be acquired by SNCF subsidiary Transport et Logistique Partenaires, subject to the condition that the Swiss firm's cereal transport activities are divested. Ermewa was previously owned by TLP and Citerne Invest. TLP is already ...
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NewsPilbara heavy haul extension opens
AUSTRALIA: The first 163-wagon iron ore train left the Mesa A/Warramboo mine in the Pilbara on February 19, using a 49 km extension of the Deepdale heavy haul line from Pannawonica to reach the port at Cape Lambert. The train was driven by Shane Edwards, a local Aboriginal man, as ...
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NewsBarber bogies from Tikhvin
RUSSIA: Testing has begun of prototype 18-9855 Barber S-2-R wagon bogies produced at the Tikhvin Railway Car Building Plant, which is being developed by ICT Group to introduce international technologies to the Russian wagon market. The bogies are designed for 25 tonne axleloads, and follow the 18-9810 bogies designed for ...
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NewsWagonload alliance launched
EUROPE: Representatives from seven major rail freight operators signed an agreement in Zürich on February 18 to establish a new alliance for the operation of international wagonload traffic. The agreement was signed by the chief executives from CD Cargo, CFL Cargo, DB Schenker Rail, Green Cargo, Rail Cargo Austria, SBB ...
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NewsCaptrain brand to consolidate international freight operations
EUROPE: French National Railways’ freight logistics business SNCF Geodis announced on February 11 that it was bringing all of its international rail haulage activities together under a single brand. SNCF Geodis says it now has 50 000 employees and a network covering 120 countries, with an annual turnover of €8bn. ...
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NewsSCT tries north-south van trains
AUSTRALIA: Open access freight operator SCT Logistics confirmed on February 12 that it had started an experimental rail van service on the primary north-south interstate corridor linking Melbourne and Brisbane. The first trains began running on February 2. SCT specialises in running block trains of general merchandise using conventional wagons ...
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NewsExceptional load on the move
GERMANY: DB Schenker Rail has organised 34 special trains to deliver 407 concrete bridge beams from Neumarkt to Frankfurt airport on behalf of construction firm Max Bögl. The beams are up to 38 m long and weigh 92 tonnes, significantly outside DB's usual weight and size parameters and thus necessitating ...
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NewsFirst GE locomotives arrive in Nigeria
NIGERIA: The first five of 25 GE Transportation diesel locomotives have been delivered to Nigerian Railway Corp, the supplier announced on February 5. The rest will arrive in the second half of the year. The order for the C25 EMPD locomotives to haul both freight and passenger trains was placed ...
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NewsSBB to split freight business
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Federal Railways is to hive off its international freight operation as an independent business. Announcing the move on February 4, SBB said that it will continue to operate domestic wagonload services, which will be 'further standardised' and tailored more for its customers with 'a full product portfolio'. The ...
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NewsSena Line trains return to Moatize
MOZAMBIQUE: The first train in more than two decades reached Moatize in the Tete province of western Mozambique on January 30. The train was received by members of the provincial and district governments and a large crowd of local residents. Moatize District Administrator Adelino Andissene said that the rehabilitated Sena ...
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NewsOpen access operators complain to Europe
POLAND: On February 2, the Federation of Independent Rail Operators ZNPK announced it had filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging that the Polish authorities are infringing the spirit of EU legislation by giving preferential treatment to incumbent freight operator PKP Cargo. ZNPK officials believe that the revised structure ...
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NewsHeavy haul hand over
SWEDEN: The first of a second batch of Bombardier Transportation IORE 2 x 5·4 MW twin-unit electric locomotives was handed over to the Malmtrafik i Kiruna AB heavy haul rail subsidiary of mining firm LKAB on January 26. Nine similar locomotives delivered in 2000-04 are now hauling iron ore trains ...
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NewsHunter Valley loco and wagon orders
AUSTRALIA: QR announced A$126m of orders for locomotives and wagons on January 28, to support Hunter Valley coal haulage contracts awarded by Peabody Energy Australia and Felix Resources. UGL Ltd is to supply 15 Class 5020 C44ACHi diesel locomotives between December 2010 and May 2011 at a cost of A$93m, ...
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NewsRecession-hit wagon deal is revised
USA: The Greenbrier Companies and General Electric Railcar Services have reached an agreement to reduce an order for 11900 tank and hopper wagons which was signed in 2007 when trade was booming, but which GERS sought to cut back once the recession hit demand. The contract has been reduced to ...
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NewsConstruction of Afghan railway launched
AFGHANISTAN: A ceremony on January 22 marked the start of construction of a 75 km rail link from Uzbekistan to the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. The line is being built by Uzbek national railway UTY, which said it will be 'a vivid testimony to the friendly relations between ...
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NewsFujian gets to work
CHINA: A 275 km railway paralleling the coast between Fuzhou and Xiamen in Fujian province opened for freight traffic on December 31, and 200 km/h passenger services are expected to follow in April. The line has 18 stations and has been designed for speeds of up to 250 km/h. Fujian ...
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NewsAAE and Faiveley sign brake agreement
EUROPE: Faiveley Transport Customer Services has been awarded a five-year 'multi million euro' contract to overhaul Faiveley brake systems on 4 400 wagons owned by leasing firm AAE. Faiveley said the contract is 'a significant step forward' in the development of its German Service Centre. AAE has a fleet of ...