Lithuania’s LTG Cargo carried 27·2 million tonnes in 2023, 2·5 million tonnes ahead of its forecasts. Oil and oil product traffic was similar to the previous year at 9·4 million tonnes, with construction materials (5·5 million) and agricultural (4·7 million) traffic up. Transit freight to Kaliningrad was down 20% at 6·5 million tonnes. Sanctions on Russia and Belarus led LTG Cargo to reject almost 4 000 transport applications covering more than 52 000 wagon loads.
Union Pacific has announced a $3·4bn capital plan for 2024. There is $1·9bn for upgrading and replacing infrastructure, and $0·6bn for locomotives and equipment including ‘targeted’ wagon acquisitions to support replacement and growth opportunities.
Indian Railways has awarded Braithwaite & Co a Rs1·80bn contract to supply 500 BCVM-C brake vans. Announcing the order on February 18, Braithwaite Chairman Yatish Kumar said ’in pursuit of sustainable growth and diversification, Braithwaite has been expanding its services and construction offerings. While wagons constituted 95% of the business in 2018, they now represent just 55%.’
The 2023 edition of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail is now available on OTIF’s website in Russian, as well as its working languages German, English and French.
Italian company Ambrogio Intermodal has joined the European Rail Freight Association. ERFA President Dirk Stahl said ‘intermodal transportation is increasingly becoming a key component of the European rail freight market. It is therefore necessary that the position of rail freight in discussions at European level also sufficiently takes into consideration and builds on the views of rail freight customers.
Brenton MacDonald has been promoted from General Manager to Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer at Sierra Northern Railway, which provides transport, rail-served property and wagon storage services in California.