Russia's government has launched a programme offering financial support for the replacement of life-expired shunting and other locomotives used on industrial railways which do not form part of the national network.
On March 15 Mexico’s Economic Competition Commission published an abstract of a preliminary report which has concluded that there is a lack of effective competition for trackage rights on the networks operated by Kansas City Southern de Mexico, Ferrocarril Mexicano, Ferrosur and Ferrocarril & Terminal del Valle de México. Should the final report confirm these preliminary conclusions, the rail regulator could consider specific remedies including imposition of mandatory trackage rights for specific commodities or routes. KCSM said it ‘respectfully disagrees’ with this conclusion, and intends to submit evidence to support its position.
Automotive logistics company Mosolf Group has resumed sending road vehicles from its site at Kippenheim in Baden-Württemberg to Düsseldorf by rail following a five-year gap. It expects to dispatch more than 70 000 motor vehicles this year, 49% by inland waterway, 17% by rail and 34% by lorry. ‘A block train with 250 cars corresponds to 35 lorry loads’ said Sales Director Wolfgang Göbel. ‘It enables more efficient and faster distribution.’
A rail safety awareness training course for the UK construction materials industry has been designed by Victa Railfreight and is being offered by Mentor Training Solutions. More than 40% of the construction materials used in London are delivered by rail, with more than 20 million tonnes transported annually throughout the UK.
Potsdam-based EGP has increased the number Hamburg – Buna container trains it operates for Konrad Zippel Spediteur from five to six per week, and will also operates seventh train when needed.
Outokumpu has renewed DB Cargo UK’s contract to operate three or four trains/week each carrying 1 300 tonnes of stainless steel from Sheffield to Immingham for export to Sweden, and one train per week to Liverpool for export to American markets.
Around 04.00 on March 17 Eurotunnel's Le Shuttle service carried its 25 millionth lorry since it launched on July 25 1994; the UPS vehicle was carrying packages from Germany.
Roland Umschlag has launched a twice-weekly container service between the Eurogate terminal in Wilhelmshaven and the Eurokombi terminal in Hamburg, running via Bremen.
