Business news from the world rail freight market.
Zambia Railways Ltd has awarded South African company Worldwide Rail & Mining Solutions a contract to modernise six 3 600 hp EMD GT-class main line diesel locomotives by the end of the year. The work will be carried out at ZRL’s workshop in Kabwe and includes a skills transfer programme to develop local capacity. A vendor-finance model is being used, with the contractor funding the work and being repaid as the locos generate revenue.
Norfolk Southern has awarded Progress Rail a contract to modernise 96 EMD SD70M-2 locomotives as SD70ICC locos for delivery in 2027-29, with three modernised locos able to do the work of four legacy SD70M-2s. The modernisation includes a remanufactured EMD 16-cylinder 710 engine rated at 4 300 hp, updated control systems and Caterpillar Advanced Diesel Engine Management. ‘By upgrading to AC traction, we’re strengthening network resilience, improving fuel efficiency and extending the life of our assets — while giving our customers greater haulage capacity and the consistent service they need to support their own growth and sustainability goals’, said NS VPO of Mechanical Brian Barr on March 9.
On January 20 Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer du Congo opened a 3·7 km section of realigned railway which has been funded by Tenke Fungurume Mining and built by Gazebo Congo to enable mining below the old route. Construction required the excavation of more than 3 million m3 of earth over nearly 3 km, with a depth of up to 35 m.
The Modalis Group has rebranded as Modal Group, saying it aims to ‘consolidate its position, clarify its integrated model and take on a more internationally accessible identity in order to accelerate the development of carbon-free multimodal logistics.’ The Modalis brand will be retained for the leasing of intermodal transport equipment, while rail operator Traix is to be launched this year.
Hector Rail has launched a shunting service open to all users of the Ziel Terminal in Duisburg. Operations are carried out using a G1000 BB locomotive provided by RheinCargo. ‘The integration of shunting services at Ziel Terminal is an important step in delivering our One Hector Rail strategy along this corridor’, said CEO Dr Carsten Hinne. ‘By expanding our service scope, we are able to create additional value for our customers while ensuring more seamless and efficient operational flows.’
The International Heavy Haul Association board unanimously appointed Antonio Merheb as CEO with effect March 11, succeeding Scott Lovelace who has retired. Merheb is a railway consultant at Brazil’s MRS Logística, and has more than a decade of technical, academic and executive experience in heavy haul railway engineering. ’His deep technical expertise, global perspective, and long-standing commitment to IHHA’s mission make him the ideal leader to guide the association into its next chapter’, said Kari Gonzales, MxV Rail President & CEO and IHHA Chair.
GB Railfreight is undertaking a two-week fuel additive trial with supplier Fuelcare and Treyarnon Consulting. This will assess whether the additive can enhance diesel engine performance, reduce emissions and extend distances between refuelling. GBRf said it is one of the largest fuel additive trials undertaken by a UK rail freight operator, and if successful could support further improvements in operational efficiency across its fleet.
Waberer’s rail logistics subsidiary PSP Rail has begun transporting cars from BMW’s Debrecen factory to ports for export, using a fleet of 110 Laaers wagons leased from GATX which said they are optimised for the transport of electric vehicles. The contract which ramps up from March and runs until to 2031 is expected to replace a substantial number of lorry movements with electric rail haulage. ‘By prioritising rail over road transport, we can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of transport, supporting both our partners’ sustainability objectives and our own’, said Zsolt Barna, Chairman & CEO of Waberer’s Group.
Voestalpine subsidiary CargoServ has begun using Innofreight RockTainer ORE containers on services transporting 1·8 million tonnes/year of iron ore on a 130 km route from Erzberg to Linz. The 30 ft RockTainer ORE is designed to carry iron ore, ore pellets, ore concentrates and limestone, with loading via a conveyor belt directly into the container via a weighing bunker, and unloading via a deep bunker. Each RockTainer ORE has two separate chambers with pneumatically operated flaps.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City has announced 14 more Site Ready rail-served industrial development locations in Canada, the USA and Mexico, with more than immediately developable land available to prospective manufacturers, logistics operators and supply chain partners. ‘Each certified location is designed to streamline development, accelerate timelines and create new value for both business and communities through unparalleled rail connectivity’, said John Brooks, CPKC EVP & Chief Marketing Officer.