Freight rail reports, projects and other news from outside North America
1/27/2021
Alstom joins 'The Valuable 500' global disability inclusion movement:
On Jan. 21, France-based Alstom joined The Valuable 500 — a network of global CEOs committed to diversity — as a means to ensure “disability inclusion features prominently in its leadership agenda,” company officials said. Alstom’s commitments are both external, concerning the accessibility of its mobility solutions to all passengers, and internal, concerning inclusiveness within the company’s workforce. “We are very proud to be listed among the global companies that consider inclusion a priority,” said Anne-Sophie Chauveau-Galas, Alstom senior vice president of human resources. “Including people with disabilities in the workplace is not only the right thing to do, it also helps Alstom create better solutions for customers and passengers around the world. Developing more inclusive products and services, as well as ensuring that our workforce reflects the diversity of passengers, leads to better outcomes for everyone.” The not-for-profit Valuable 500’s objective is “to unite at least 500 of the most influential business leaders and their brands to stimulate systemic change from a business, social and economic point view,” according to a prepared statement. “The aim is to unlock the social and economic value of people living with disabilities across the world, because the potential of 1.3 billion people should not be ignored.”
Australia boosts investment in Inland Rail:
The Australian Government has upped its investment to $14.5 billion (AUD) in equity in Australian Rail Track Corp. to ensure the Inland Rail line will “deliver more jobs, more significant benefits and a bigger boost to Australia’s gross domestic product,” Inland Rail CEO Richard Wankmuller said in a Dec. 16, 2020, website post. Inland Rail is a 1,715-kilometer freight rail line that will connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. With the investment boost, the project will include more than 4,500 additional culverts, nine additional viaducts, an additional 6.8 kilometers of bridges, 10 extra grade separations and about 450 kilometers of additional fencing. “The project will generate an economic boost of more than $18 billion to the economy during construction and over the first 50 years of operations over and above the cost of delivery,” Wankmuller said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic "has reminded Australians of the importance of a secure and efficient freight supply chain."
Climate change reforms "ushering in an era of modal shift" in Europe:
In reporting his company's financial results for its first fiscal quarter ending Nov. 30, 2020, The Greenbrier Cos. Chairman and CEO William Furman offered the following comments about the rail-car builder’s prospects in Europe. “Broad macroeconomic reforms to address climate change are ushering in an era of modal shift for freight as the continent moves from polluting and congested road travel to clean and efficient rail service,” Furman said on Jan. 6. “This should generate significant market growth in the years to come. Regulatory-driven freight wagon demand in Europe supplements the increase in commodity-driven and replacement freight wagon demand that typically gathers momentum in a recovering economy.”
Cybersecurity market growing at 'healthy rate':
Valued at about $2.8 billion in 2019, the global railway cybersecurity market is “anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 3.1 percent” from 2020 through 2027, according to the Global Railway Cybersecurity Market Research Report 2020 Analysis and Forecast 2027 from WiseGuyReports.com. Meanwhile, Alstom recently finalized a deal to invest $7 million in Cylus, an Israel0based cybersecurity specialist. The transaction also includes a strategic cooperation agreement to develop a commercial partnership “allowing the companies to combine their respective strengths and provide best-in-class cybsercurity solutions for the rail market,” Alstom officials said in a Dec. 7 press release.
European rail vehicle maintenance trends:
Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the corresponding “worsened economic situation,” SCI Verkehr GmbH expects “large operators will tend to insource maintenance services in the coming years,” the global rail/logistics consultant said in a Nov. 26, 2020, press release. “In this way, they can optimize the utilization of their own workshops and employees.” Moreover, manufacturers selling fewer new vehicles due to “investment stops” also will make more intensive efforts to win maintenance contracts, they said. In 2019, the total market volume for the European rail vehicle maintenance market amounted to approximately 19 billion Euros, SCI Verkehr said, adding that it forecasts an increase in turnover to 22 billion euros by 2024. The main growth drivers: maintenance work on high-speed vehicles and electric rail cars.
Rail safety index record in Europe:
The number of “significant accidents” continues to decrease among International Union of Railways (UIC) member road, according to the UIC’s 2019 annual report. The number significant accidents fell by 11% compared with 2018’s total, and 24% compared with 2014’s, according to the report, which was issued in November 2020. 75% of 2109 accidents were caused by trespassing on railway infrastructure; 15% by accidents at level crossings; 7% were attributed to “internal causes relating to technical or organizational failures or human factors within the rail operation system”; and 2% were caused by weather and environmental conditions, according to UIC data.
Germany:
Originally scheduled for June 22–24, 2021, in Stuttgart, Germany, LogiMAT 2021 has been postponed “due to the difficult ongoing situation with COVID-19,” event organizer, EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress-GmbH said on Jan. 26. LogiMAT, an international trade show for intralogistics solutions and process management, has been pushed back to March 8–10, 2022. Meanwhile, EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress is working on a “digital concept so that visitors and exhibitors can still meet virtually in 2021,” the organizers said. ... In December, RDC AUTOZUG Sylt GmbH began running a freight train to the island of Sylt in addition to the blue Autozug Sylt. The Sylt train runs three times a week between Niebüll and Westerland, the railroad said in a Dec. 14, 202 ess release. A V60 shunting locomotive and the DE12 mainline locomotive from Vossloh/Kiel will be used for the service. Freight customers include building materials traders and refineries. Previously, the Sylt freight train was operated by CFL Cargo Deutschland GmbH. Part of Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp., RDC AUTOZUG Sylt also operates the ALPEN-SYLT night passenger train between Westerland and Salzburg on a seasonal basis.
India:
For the first time, an all-women crew operated an Indian Railways freight train earlier this month. The "goods" train ran from Vasai Road in Maharashtra to Vadodara in Gujarat, railway officials said. "In this train, the responsibility from loco pilot to guard was handled by women employees," India Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal said in a Jan. 6 tweet. ... Also: In mid-January, the Indian Railways successfully conducted the first trial run of double-stack container train operation in Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, railway officials said.
Nigeria:
A MOTA-ENGIL S.G.P.S. S.A. subsidiary signed a contract for the design, construction and financing of railway infrastructure in the Republic of Nigeria and in the Republic of Niger, MOTA-ENGIL announced Jan. 11. The $1.82 billion contract includes the project, procurement, construction and financing of the 284-kilometer Kano-Danbatta-Kazaure-Daura-Mashi-Katsina-Jibiya-Maradi line; and a 94-kilometer branch line.
Pakistan:
Umair Aamir Sheikh from the Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association is the winner of the 2020 Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year Award, FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations and TT Club announced Dec. 10, 2020. Sheikh, who joined the freight forwarding industry four years ago, hails “from a country where 64% of the population is under 30 years old — emphasizing the relevance and timeliness of this award,” TT Club said. “His dissertation took into account the effects of digitalization on freight forwarding activities and concluded that, despite the technology currently available, the role of the freight forwarder remains essential.”
United Kingdom:
Greencarrier Freight Services opened a new office in Manchester. The office is located at Manchester Airport."The new office in Manchester provides good opportunities for growth in both imports and exports and brings us much closer to the market and to our customers,” said Adrian Frodsham, head of air and ocean for Greencarrier Freight Services UK, in a Jan. 26 prepared statement. “Many industries export large volumes from here, giving us a good basis for growing the pipeline and for future growth through increased local commercial efforts and in collaboration with our global Greencarrier network." The Manchester office complements two other UK Greencarrier offices: one in Ipswich and one in Immingham.
Uruguay:
Stadler will supply seven EURO4001 diesel-electric locomotives to PORTREN SA for a freight railway PORTREN will operate for Finnish biotech company UPM, Stadler announced Dec. 14. Deliveries are expected to start by 2022’s end. The locomotives will make 273-kilometer trips from UPM’s new factory to the Uruguayan port. Each 475-meter convoy will comprise one locomotive and 26 wagons carrying wood pulp. On the way back to the factory, vehicles will haul the chemicals and fuel required to produce cellulose. PORTREN is owned by Uruguyan logistics group Christophersen and Spanish company Cointer Concessiones.