National rail freight operator BNSF Railways and power generation company Southern Company have together unveiled a new electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking system technology to be installed on twelve BNSF locomotives and some three-hundred of Southern Company’s rail cars.

The first train to be feature the ECP system left Wyoming’s Powder River Basin today bound for a Southern Company power generation plant near Birmingham Alabama.

BNSF’s executive vice president and chief operations officer Carl Ice commenting on the new braking system said that “We are pleased to participate in advancing this important technology.”  “Through the operation of these trains, we look forward to gaining additional experience with the deployment of ECP brakes.”

Vice president of fuel services for Southern Company Jeff Wallace praised the new system saying that  “The use of ECP brakes will provide the potential for improved safety, faster coal deliveries, fewer rail cars and reduced maintenance expense; all of which will benefit our customers.”

Fitting out BNSF’s locomotives with the ECP technology was New York Air Brake Corporation while Wabtec Corporation installed the systems on Southern Company’s rail cars.  BNSF and Southern Company will make up two full 135-car train sets, which will be used to assess the performance of the current generation ECP braking system.

Source: BNSF Railway

In the wake of reports in the French newspaper Le Figaro, French rail freight firm SNCF moved quickly to not only pour cold water on the job cuts report, but also to espouse a vision that takes advantage of the opening of Europe’s rail freight market.

In a statement released after the report in Le Figaro, the company flatly denied that there would be up to six-thousand jobs cut.  Instead, a proposed budget to be presented to the SNCF Board in early February outlines plans to reduce the number of positions through-out SNCF by 1500.  SNCF in a communication with Freightscene.com were also at pains to say that the planned reduction in the company’s workforce did not necessarily mean dismissals.

SNCF, In addition answering the Job cut claims, has also talked of a new strategy, exploiting the opening of the rail freight market in Europe as the demand for rail freight steadily increases.  Indeed SNCF states that the growth of combined transport, 10% growth in Europe in 2007 is expected to continue over the next 10 years, with forecasts of growth in the range of +7% per year.

To meet such growth demand, SNCF has stated that open access is vital and is the answer to the demands of its customers increasingly technical requirements, in addition to the potential open access has to generate new markets and traffic for the company.

Source: SNCF Freight

New Zealand freight operators moving goods into and out of the Taranaki region can soon look forward to being able to utilize larger hi-cube containers on the regions rail network, thanks to a tunnel deviation project currently underway just west of Wanganui.

The Kai Iwi rail deviation was put to tender in late 2007 after funding constraints had delayed the project.  At the time, Acting Chief Executive of the New Zealand Railways Corporation William Peet explained that “we plan to build a rail deviation which will completely by-pass the tunnel and remove a permanent speed restriction that has been in place even for the smaller 2.6 metre containers that can pass through. It will be a significant step towards making rail more competitive for the movement of containerised goods out of Taranaki.”

Currently the project is in the earth-moving stage with the the 992 metre deviation being cleared by GPS assisted earth moving equipment.  It is estimated the project will take four months to complete, construction being scheduled around around existing train movements.

Sources: New Zealand Railways Corporation, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Wanganui Chronicle.

Israeli container shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM) has announced that it will make changes to its North Atlantic service effective from March 2008.

The new service, to be known as ATX or Atlantic Express will be consist of four, four-thousand twenty foot equivalent unit (TEU) container vessels sailing between the European ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le Havre and Southampton and the US Atlantic Coast ports of New York, Norfolk and Charleston.

In announcing the new service, ZIM pointed towards additional benefits.  Atlantic Express is expected to operate more efficient tonnage, reducing the bunker consumption per slot-mile, improving overall efficiency and creating positive environmental outcomes for the company.

The continued review and upgrading of ZIM’s services is aimed at strengthening the company’s position on the major trade lanes as well as maintaining effective connections to its regional feeder network.

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services operates a fleet of about 100 vessels, giving the company a total carrying capacity of over 240,000 TEU’s.

Source: ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd

It is being reported in local New York media that a CSX freight train has derailed.  According to those reports, emergency services are at the scene with the fear that as many as thirty cars may have derailed.

CSX Corporation which is based in Jacksonville Florida is the parent company of CSX Transportation which operates the largest railroad in the eastern United States with a 21,000-mile rail network linking commercial markets in 23 states, the District of Columbia, and two Canadian provinces.

The accident has reportedly taken place within the village of Canastota in the area of Barlow Street and Bebee Bridge Road.  The first information available indicates that there are no injuries or evacuations taking place.

According to the CSX website, CSX Transportation operates on average 1,200 trains per day, with a fleet of over 3,800  locomotives and 102,000 freight cars.

Sources: silive.com, UticaOD.com and CSX Corporation

Update: According to latest reports, ten to fifteen cars of the forty-eight carriage train have left the rails. Source: Newsday.com and News 10 Now

Two of the largest businesses on the European continent have this week announced an intent to increase cooperation with the aim being a greater capacity to handle increased freight movements.

Deutsche Bahn AG and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have together signed a letter of intent to increase cooperation between the two entities.  The main aim of the agreement being to improve the Port of Rotterdam’s hinterland connections.

Dr. Norbert Bensel, Chairman of the Transportation and Logistics Division of Deutsche Bahn AG, and Hans Smits, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority   signed the letter of intent, with Smits underlying the importance of the deal by saying that “the existing resources alone will not be sufficient to handle growing freight volumes”.  “We have to make better use of existing resources. This will only be possible by intensifying cooperation across transport chains.”

Deutsche Bahn’s Norbert Bensel added that the cooperation is a natural pairing with Deutsche Bahn AG being one of Europe’s leading combined transport services companies and the Port of Rotterdam being the largest port in Europe. 

The Port of Rotterdam is Germany’s most important port in terms of freight handling both to and from Germany with a cargo throughput of over four-hundred million metric tons in 2007.

Source: Port of Rotterdam

The Queensland Government has announced that in the wake of the state’s heavy rains and flooding that primary producers can apply for freight subsidies.

The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland will provide freight subsidies for primary producers located within a disaster-declared area for assistance with the movement of emergency fodder, building, fencing materials, machinery and equipment movements and animal restocking.

The subsidies are available for the 12 months  after the declaration of a disaster area.  A maximum freight subsidy payment per property of $5000 (excluding GST) per disaster event applies on combined restocking, fodder, building and fencing materials, machinery and equipment movements.

Primary producers who wish to apply for the freight subsidy should contact the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on 13 25 23 to get more information. Forms and additional information are also available via the departments website.

Source: Office of the Minister for Emergency Services and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Queensland.

The Road and Traffic Authority (RTA) of New South Wales has announced a three year trial of “Super B Double” trucks within the Port Botany precinct.

Stating that it is crucial to the News South Wales economy that the right truck is matched to the right road, the RTA will commence the trial early this year, on a limited number of routes, wholly within the Port Botany precinct. 

The new vehicles, Super B Doubles will be no wider or higher than a Standard B Double but on average are two to thee metres longer, enabling the carriage of two forty foot containers, improving the efficiency of truck transport within the Port Botany Precinct. 

An RTA spokesperson has confirmed to Freightscene.com that the Super B Doubles will operate under the recently implemented national Performance Based Standards (PBS) regime, requiring the trucks to demonstrate superior steering, cornering and braking to the existing Standard B Doubles. It is also anticipated that under the PBS regime, the new Super B Doubles will sometime in the future utilize satellite tracking systems on the vehicles.

Source: RTA New South Wales

Air freight operator Scandinavian Airlines Cargo (SAS Cargo) has announced that it is to launch a new service to the Asian continent with the introduction of services to Vietnam.

Building on existing services to Japan, China and Thailand, SAS Cargo will route through Bangkok to enter the Vietnamese market, exploiting opportunities from the growing export market of Vietnamese general goods and foodstuffs.

The Vice President of Sales for SAS Cargo Nils Pries-Knudsen said on announcing the expansion that in addition to carrying goods from Vietnam, “SAS Cargo will now be in a position to offer Scandinavian customers with a need for sending air cargo to Vietnam a better service.”  Indeed SAS Cargo reports that the shipment time to Vietnam via Bangkok from Copenhagen should now take no longer than twenty-four hours.

SAS Cargo operates an over 160 strong mixed fleet, comprised of mainly Boeing and Airbus aircraft from Cargo hubs in Denmark, Sweden and Norway.  The company flies to fifty countries around the world serving some two-hundred destinations.

Source: SAS Cargo

Recent flooding in the Australian state of Queensland have forced the delay and cancellation of freight shipments in some areas of the now water-logged State.

Australian air freight company GSA Cargo services have said that flooding in the Proserpine and Townsville were causing the most problems, with GSA Cargo Services forced to cancel at least four shipments of perishable goods.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that flooding in the central areas of the state are considered to be the worst the region has ever recorded, with flood damage running into the millions of dollars.

GSA Cargo Services has advised that in the wake of the flooding it may be several weeks before normal operations can resume. State Rail operator Queensland Rail has also seen operations suspended and limited by the deluge, with the company closing lines between several state centres.

Sources: AirCargo Asia Pacific and ABC News.