Nebraska Central Railroad has hosted a Railroad Investigation Safety Course for Brainard Fire Department. Firefighters boarded a locomotive and conducted scenario training which included rescuing another fireman who was playing the part of a train driver.
The Fiskarheden sawmill and forwarding company Träfraktkontoret have launched a rail service to transport sawn Swedish timber from Malungsfors to Göteborg for shipping to Japan. The first train on August 30 carried 32 40 ft containers from Japanese shipping company ONE. Timber was previously transported by road to the port of Gävle.
TX Logistik is increasing the number of round trips on the Duisburg – Milano Segrate route from five to six per week from September 6, to meet increased demand for the transport of semi-trailers since P400 gauge enhancement on the Gotthard route. Containers, swap bodies and tank and silo units are also transported.
The first freight train from Uzbekistan to Hairatan in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country ran on September 1, after a 17-day hiatus. Turkmenistan’s government reports that both its rail border crossings are open, and on August 30 technical and commissioning work resumed on the Aqina – Andkhoy railway in Afghanistan, which was ceremonially inaugurated on January 14, and is expected to be completed soon.
The US Surface Transportation Board has invited comments from shippers, carriers and the public on issues regarding first and last-mile wagon services, whether STB should examine these issues further and what actions may help address them. The board is particularly interested in service metrics which could be useful in the light of crew shortages and other issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and worldwide supply chain complications.
Danish pharmaceutical company LEO Pharma has awarded DB Cargo a contract for the regular supply of raw materials from Germany to Jutlandia Terminal’s rail freight facility at the port of Esbjerg. The twice weekly service is expected to make it easier and more attractive for other companies at the port to make use of rail transport.
The national railways of Russia and Kazakhstan have signed a roadmap to speed up the digitalisation of freight traffic using electronic documents with e-signatures, with the aim of 80% of loaded and empty wagons travelling between the countries using paperless technology by 2022 and 50% of transit traffic in Eurasian Economic Union member states. The transport of export cargo from Kazakhstan to third countries via Russia using paperless technology will also be tested.
Associated British Ports has appointed Chris Durrant as Terminal Manager for the Hams Hall inland freight terminal.
Nurminen Logistics has appointed Olga Stepanova as Vice-President of Railway Operations & Country Manager Russia, with responsibility for the railway operations in China and Asia, Russia and Finland. Joonas Louho has been appointed Vice-President of Cargo Operations.