Freight news – Page 23
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NewsRomanian terminal opens to streamline Ukrainian grain exports
ROMANIA: Private freight operator Grampet Group has opened what it says is Europe’s biggest grain transhipment terminal, at Dornești near the northern border with Ukraine. The terminal has been developed under a public-private partnership with Grampet providing €10m. It enables simultaneous transhipment between eight Ukrainian 1 ...
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NewsMercitalia Rail orders 70 locomotives
ITALY: National railway FS Group’s freight business Mercitalia Rail has awarded Alstom a contract to supply 70 Traxx Universal electric locomotives, including some with last mile capabilities, and to provide 12 years of full maintenance. The contract is worth more than €323m, with deliveries from Alstom’s ...
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NewsChina – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan railway agreement signed
ASIA: A trilateral intergovernmental agreement has been signed setting out the legal basis for building the planned China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan railway. China’s President Xi Jinping, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the event on June 6 by video link. ...
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Rail Business UKSteam turbine freight locomotive prototype to be developed
UK: A Class 60 diesel locomotive is to be converted to a modern form of steam power as a potential alternative to electrification for zero-emission heavy freight operations.
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NewsFRA studies the behaviour of very long freight trains
USA: The Federal Railroad Administration has produced three reports into the safety and performance of trains more than 7 500 ft (2 286 m) in length. Testing found that air brake systems performed largely as expected when in a controlled environment, but FRA says further testing ...
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NewsMaintenance deal to enhance Carajás loco fleet
BRAZIL: Mining group Vale has signed a 10-year master service agreement with Wabtec Corp for maintenance of the Evolution series diesel-electric locomotives used on the 1 600 mm gauge Estrada de Ferro Carajás. Worth R$1∙8bn, the agreement will ‘optimise the maintenance services for Vale’s fleet, increasing ...
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NewsSale of Estonian national rail freight operator gets underway
ESTONIA: The government has formally launched a two-stage process to privatise national rail freight operator Operail. The public auction approved by the cabinet on June 6 will cover Operail’s entire business, including freight operations, rolling stock repairs, all contracts and the brand name. It is being ...
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NewsKenya Railways sets out strategic plan for 2023-27
KENYA: Kenya Railways has launched its strategic plan for 2023-27, setting out a medium-term policy, legal, institutional and regulatory framework to transform itself into the ’leading transport service provider in the region’. The plan includes developing and upgrading rail infrastructure, increasing freight and passenger capacity, expanding ...
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In depthFreight: ‘Nobody is writing us a cheque for €13bn’
European policymakers and the larger rail freight operators are confident that the Digital Automatic Coupler programme can move from vision to reality by 2028. Nevertheless, significant financial and logistical barriers remain. Toma Bačić reports.
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NewsFreight traffic resumes on Baku – Tbilisi – Kars railway
ASIA: The Baku – Tbilisi – Kars railway has re-opened for freight traffic following a year-long maintenance and rebuilding programme on the Georgian section of the line. Work on the 170 km section between Marabda and Akhalkalaki began in May last year and was completed on ...
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NewsJapanese high speed rail freight services expand
JAPAN: The increasing use of high speed passenger trains to carry light freight was highlighted by a fair at Tokyo station on May 17 where products now being transported to the capital by Shinkansen were available for purchase. The rail services have benefited from a national ...
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NewsInland port association aims to get more freight onto South Africa’s railways
SOUTH AFRICA: The Multimodal Inland Port Association has been formed to act as a unified voice advocating for freight modal shift from road to rail. MIPA aims to encourage private investment and participation in rail reform, to foster trade activities that meet social objectives and to ...
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NewsTCDD takes delivery of locally designed wagons
TURKEY: State-owned locomotive and rolling stock manufacturer Türasaş has supplied national operator TCDD Taşımacılık with 27 container wagons of its own design. TheSgggrs articulated two-platform wagon with three bogies and six axles is suitable for use with 20 ft, 30 ft and 40 ft containers, and ...
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NewsCargoBeamer secures investment to get semi-trailers onto rail
EUROPE: CargoBeamer has received public and private sector funding commitments of €140m to support expansion of its network of facilities for transporting semi-trailers by rail. Privately owned CargoBeamer is aiming to develop a network of 18 terminals and 50 routes over next 10 years, building on ...
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News€1·7bn rail freight support scheme approved
GERMANY: A government scheme to provide grants to encourage modal shift of road freight to more sustainable rail transport has been approved by the European Commission under EU state aid rules. The scheme will provide direct grants totalling €1·7bn over five years to help rail operators ...
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NewsIndonesian locomotive maintenance services agreement signed
INDONESIA: National railway PT KAI and Progress Rail have signed a six-year maintenance services agreement covering 35 EMD GT38AC diesel locomotives which were delivered in 2022 to haul coal trains in south Sumatra. The MSA covers a major overhaul, parts for all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, ...