News from the world rail freight market.
Australian Rail Track Corp has completed a series of works as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the resilience and reliability of the critical east-west railway. This included culvert upgrades in remote South Australia to improve drainage and reduce the risk of flooding along key sections of rail line, as well as level crossing upgrades, rail replacement, resleepering, structure repairs and track reconditioning. ‘These new culverts will help reduce the impacts and potential disruptions caused by culvert and track washaways during flood events’ said Heather Parry, Director Infrastructure Projects. ‘Crucially, they will improve our ability to manage stormwater and will mitigate the risk of flooding along key sections of the East-West rail line – a vital transport corridor for freight trains.’
The first two of 30 Newag Dragon 2 locomotives which leasing company Akiem ordered in November 2023 have been handed over to Rail Cargo Group and Grupa Azoty Koltar. They are approved for operation in Poland and equipped with a last mile module.
Turkish infrastructure manager TCDD has completed construction of a 7·5 km freight line linking the organised industrial zone in Eskişehir with the city’s Hasanbey logistics centre. Work began in May. The project includes 6·5 km of sidings.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank has reached financial close on a C$100m loan to Cando Rail & Terminals to double the capacity of its Sturgeon Terminal in Alberta, adding up to 3 700 wagon storage and staging spaces.
Altmann Rail Traction is to use Zedas Cargo Long Haul software to digitise its business, from order management and resource planning to operational management, documentation and billing. Zedas said this is ideally suited for ART’s planned international expansion, as country-specific requirements such as different cost rates, qualifications, working time regulations and brake calculations can be included. ART was founded in April as a wholly owned subsidiary of automotive logistics company ARS Altmann, and is investing in its own locomotives, licences, a control centre and a digital infrastructure.
Iran and Turkmenistan held talks in early September with a view to increasing cross-border freight traffic to 20 million tonnes/year, including up to 6 million tonnes by rail. The Iranian side proposed the formation of a China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway corridor based on an ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement ratified in 2006. Capacity is to be increased at the Serakhs and Incheh Borun border crossings, and passenger services could be offered between Mashhad in Iran and Mary in Turkmenistan.
The Office of Inspector General at the US Department of Transportation has initiated an Audit of the Federal Railroad Administration and Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration oversight of approximately 280 facilities which manufacture, repair, inspect, test, qualify or maintain tank wagons. PHMSA’s regulations delegate approval of Quality Assurance Programmes to the Association of American Railroads, while the FRA enforces the regulations for hazardous material transport by rail.