Rath Group has ordered two more Siemens Mobility Vectron MS locomotives for delivery in December 2020, following its ‘very positive experiences’ with an initial three. Its current locos are approved for Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, and the next two will also be approved for Belgium.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 21 for the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub in Georgia. OmniTRAX is the master developer of the industrial park owned by Effingham County Industrial Development Authority.
FESCO Transportation Group has launched the Silkway Amber container service linking Zhengzhou and Hamburg in 14 days. It runs via Kaliningrad, where containers are transferred between gauges at Dzerzhinskaya-Novaya. The first train with 43 containers ran in October, with weekly services in each direction expected to start in early 2020.
Cappagh’s rail freight operator DCRail is to open a construction materials hub near Wembley in north London in mid-2020.
Valor Victoria, Iowa Northern Railway Co, Watco and Union Pacific are to launch an internationally focused intermodal service through the new Butler Intermodal Terminal in Shell Rock, Iowa, in December. This will provide provides an alternative to larger Midwest rail hubs. UP will transport eastbound intermodal shipments from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and interchange with the Iowa Northern Railway for final delivery to the new terminal.
Canadian Pacific is to establish a multi-commodity transload terminal at its Côte Saint-Luc yard in Montréal with freight forwarder TYT Group. Phase 1 is scheduled to be completed in June 2020. ‘We continue to leverage our strategic land holdings and invest in transloads across the network to create additional connections, improve service and provide our customers with new end markets’, said John Brooks, CP Executive Vice-President & Chief Marketing Officer.
Markus Zgraggen has been named as CEO of Crossrail Benelux from January, succeeding Urs Hefti; he will also head BLS Cargo’s new Asset Management unit. Stephan Moll is to replace Zgraggen as head of BLS Cargo’s Production & Purchasing unit.
Janet H Kennedy rejoined the Kansas City Southern board on December 1. She had stood down in October 2018 after joining Ernst & Young, which prohibits its executives from being directors of public companies. ‘We are extremely excited to welcome Janet back’, said KCS Chairman Bob Druten. ‘Her leadership and expertise, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity, technology and risk management, are valuable assets.