Freight rail reports, projects and other news from outside North America
6/15/2021
Panama Canal:
The Panama Canal has increased the maximum allowable length for vessels "transiting" the Neopanamax Locks, canal officials announced June 15. Since May 21, the maximum length overall for commercial and non-commercial vessels acceptable for “regular transits” is 370.33 meters (1,215 feet), up from 367.28 meters (1,205 feet), canal officials said. “The increase means that now 96.8% of the world’s fleet of containerships can transit the Panama Canal, shortening routes and benefiting economies around the world.” In addition, the canal now offers 15.24 meters (50 feet) draft, the highest level allowed at the waterway, officials said.
Technology:
Energy storage company Leclanche SA announced June 15 it has developed a new generation of lithium-ion battery modules (called M3) for “energy intensive e-transport applications,” such as marine, commercial vehicle and rail. The company — with headquarters in Yverdon-Les-Bains, Switzerland, and Anderson, Indiana — also has a dedicated production line to manufacture the modules in Europe. The modules feature a “very-high cycle life,” allowing for “significant reductions in total cost of ownership,” company officials said. … Radix Engineering and Software, in collaboration with HPC Hamburg Port Consulting, the Supply Chain & Logistics Technology Program at University of Houston and UTC Overseas Inc., is developing a “Smart Port” Digital Growth Masterplan for the Port of Açu (PdA) in Brazil, the largest private port in Latin America, Radix announced on June 3. The goal: develop a five- to 10-year vision for the technological platform of the Port and its ecosystem, focusing on optimizing operations, attracting new businesses that are “technologically aligned” and establishing a technological governance plan and systems architecture, company officials said. … Progress Rail subsidiary ECM S.p.A. will supply an onboard subsystem for trains that run on Italian lines equipped with SCMT, the national automatic train protection system, Progress Rail announced on May 27. SCMT will be integrated with the European Train Control System supplied by Siemens Mobility GmbH to “ensure continuity of operations on cross-border lines for freight and passenger trains,” Progress Rail officials said. … To meet the growing global demand for refrigerated cargo, Singapore’s Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE) is adding 27,500 containers to its refrigerated (reefer) fleet. The additional units include 850 units will be equipped with advanced Controlled Atmosphere technology, ONE officials said on May 10. ONE added 5,000 units (all 40’HC) in early 2020. … Alstom will equip DB Cargo freight locomotive with its ETCS signaling technology, the company announced May 19. Alstom’s ETCS Baseline 3 Release 2 solution will be installed on a DE6400 freight locomotive. … Swiss internet of things (IoT) company Nexxiot was awarded first prize in the annual Swisscom IoT Climate Awards for its innovative approach to reducing emissions in cargo transportation, the company announced last month. The company focuses on monitoring cargo assets that do not have their own power, such as rail cars and intermodal containers. “By monitoring an assets location and usage, Nexxiot supports its clients both in their commercial objectives and their sustainability goals at the same time,” said CEO Stefan Kalmund in a May 6 prepared statement.
M&A and strategic ‘repositionings’:
Germany’s Robel Holding GmbH (Robel) acquired a 25.1 percent share in Schweerbau International GmbH & Co. KG (SBI), Robel officials announced on May 3. SBI specializes in developing rail treatment technologies. The first product “of the new cooperation” is a two-part rail treatment vehicle system that will be deployed in Japan in 2021’s second half, Robel officials said. … VTG Aktiengesellschaft is “repositioning itself on the Turkish market,” bundling all the business activities of VTG Rail Europe, VTG Rail Logistics and VTG Tanktainer under the aegis of the Group’s Turkish subsidiary VTG Nakliyat, VTG officials announced May 3. “In the future, we will be able to offer integrated rail, container and multimodal project logistics as well as customs handling and asset hire services in Turkey and the surrounding region — locally and all from a single source,” said Zoltan Potvorszki, head of Region South Eastern Europe VTG Rail Logistics. … UK-based engineering consulting company The IKOS Group has acquired London-based rail company AEGIS, IKOS announced on April 29. The three AEGIS entities in London, Derby and Madrid “will be added” to the 19 offices IKOS has established in France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, the United States and Canada, company officials said.
In India:
On June 14, the Indian Army conducted a “successful trial” by moving a military train loaded with vehicles and equipment from New Rewari to New Phulera on Indian Railways’ recently developed Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), India’s Ministry of Defense said on June 15. The “intricate and synchronized coordination” by the army, DFC and the railroad “will significantly enhance the mobilization capability of the Armed Forces,” Ministry of Defense officials said. … Indian Railways’ Oxygen Express trains, which haul oxygen in bulk to COVID-19 patients, “have crossed the milestone of 30,000 MT of oxygen,” India Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal said in a June 13 tweet. … In May, Indian Railways loaded the highest ever freight of 114.8 MT,” which was 9.7% higher than the previous best of 104.6 MT in May 2019, Goyal said in a May 31 tweet. “Since the last 9 months, [the railroad] is continuously loading highest ever freight in the respective month,” he said.
Cold chain logistics in Europe:
In Europe, the cold chain logistics market will generate $79.16 billion by 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 19.2% from 2015 to 2025, Allied Market Research predicts in a forecast issued May 18. The “rise in penetration” of e-commerce, the increasing number of refrigerated warehouses and pharmaceutical industry growth will drive the market, the firm says.
Climate strategy:
Munich, Germany-based Knorr-Bremse issued its “Climate Strategy 2030,” in which the braking systems/rail vehicle producer shared its long-term climate goals. Among them: aiming to halve its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and make its sites “carbon neutral from 2021 onwards,” the company announced May 10.