Following an agreement with Indian rail freight company Concor, exporters and importers can now book both rail and sea transport using Cogoport's booking platform. ‘For the first time shippers have a single factory-to-ship planning and booking platform’, said Cogoport founder and CEO Purnendu Shekhar. ‘It’s a significant advance for businesses sited a long way from the sea, who can now plan logistics more easily and still take advantage of the 10% to 15% cost savings we typically generate on ocean carriage bookings.’
On June 14 Locon took delivery of a Vossloh DE18 diesel locomotive which it is leasing from Beacon Rail for use in northern Germany. The leasing company ordered four of the locos at the beginning of June in a €13·1m contract which includes servicing.
Switzerland’s Competition Commission ruled on June 13 that the Gateway Basel Nord intermodal terminal being developed by a joint venture of SBB, Hupac and Contargo can go ahead. The Federal Office for Transport had agreed on July 9 2018 to fund SFr83m of the SFr130m cost of the first phase, but the project was delayed after objections that the project would favour the joint venture over rival operators, leading to an investigation by the Competition Commission.
Sole bidder Pesa has signed a contract to supply 12 electric locomotives to Rail Capital Partners.
Under a three-year framework agreement for the supply of 17 000 wagons in 2019-21, Uralvagonzavod is to supply Russian Railways' Federal Freight Co with 3 692 open wagons in 2019, of which more than 2 650 will be the latest Type 12-196-02 design. The manufacturer said it was actively seeking such longer-term contracts, which enable it make more effective use of production capacity and build relationships with component suppliers.
Modernisation and capacity expansion works at the Port Delta Yard which serves the steel industry around Delta, Ohio, is to be undertaken with funding from Genesee & Wyoming’s Indiana & Ohio Railway Co ($3·6m), the Federal Railroad Administration ($3·3m) and Ohio Rail Development Commission ($0·3m).
GB Railfreight has introduce a daily service from the iPort Rail site at Doncaster to Teesside. 'This is the third commercial service we have launched in under a year, underscoring the huge success iPort Rail has seen already and the growing demand for our services', said iPort Rail Managing Director Steve Freeman. 'With this new Teesport route in addition to Southampton and Felixstowe, and the new partnership with PD Ports, we are excited about the possibilities this brings to our customers and businesses across the north of England and Midlands.'
A $820 000 US federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements Program grant awarded to Georgia Department of Transportation will enable Genesee & Wyoming’s Heart of Georgia Railroad to upgrade track and reinstate operations on a 3 km section of line at Nunez. ‘This is another step to restore rail freight service along the entire HOG line between Midvale and Preston’, said the railway’s President Andy Chunko.
Forth Ports, Eddie Stobart and Direct Rail Services are to launch a weekly container service between the ports of Tilbury and Grangemouth on June 28. Northbound traffic will include retail goods, food and drink, with southbound traffic expected to feature spirits, chemicals and fresh food including potatoes.
Georgia Department of Transportation has been awarded a $1·35m federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements grant for track renewals on the 78 km Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway operated by Genesee & Wyoming.
