Germany's Kreisbahn Siegen-Wittgenstein opened the Südwestfalen container terminal in Kreuztal in Nordrhein-Westfalen on September 14. The 18 500 m² facility has two 225 m tracks and a 191 m long siding.
The UK Rail Freight Group has called on the government to ensure that freight growth is at the heart of its forthcoming rail review. ‘Our members are hungry for more rail freight, but it can be hard to deliver their expectations when there is an ever-greater focus on integrating track and passenger services‘, said RFG Executive Director Maggie Simpson. ‘We need this review to put freight customers at the very heart of its considerations and find the right mechanisms to deliver the growth that our economy demands.’
The Victoria state government has announced proposals to enhance rail freight capacity in the Goulburn Valley, alongside the A$356m Shepparton Corridor Upgrade to improve passenger services. A$900 000 has been approved to fund planning for completion by early 2019. The aim is to remove restrictions that affect the ability to transport agricultural produce, particularly grain, to the Port of Melbourne by rail. The Australian government has committed A$9m to the freight upgrade project and the state A$1m.
On September 18 GB Railfreight ran the first commercial train to the newly-opened iPort Rail inland port at Doncaster in northern England. The service left Solent Stevedores in Southampton at 05.07, arriving at iPort Rail at 14.33 and departing for the return leg at 18.04. The service will now run five days a week.
Australian freight operator Aurizon is to deploy Trimble’s R2M remote diagnostic system and P2M planning and performance management system. The companies are also working together to pilot enhanced infrastructure and rolling stock monitoring and data analytics.