World rail freight news round-up

TIN nerws:  To handle an expected 40 000 tonnes of citrus fruit between April and August, Nuevo Central Argentino will be operating a weekly service for Control Union SA between Tucumán and the port of San Pedro in Buenos Aires province, as well as services every two weeks to Rosario and Zárate. A new service will use refrigerated containers to collect consignments from packing plants, clearing customs and undergoing food hygiene inspections locally before moving to the port by rail. 

This month Rail Cargo Group is to increase its service between Sopron in Hungary and Halkalı near Istanbul from four to five round trips per week. A sixth weekly train is planned from September.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc announced on May 3 that it had completed the acquisition of Pentalver Transport Ltd from A P Møller-Maersk subsidiary APM Terminals. G&W said Pentalver would complement its Freightliner business which is the largest provider of maritime container transport by rail in the UK. Pentalver operates off-dock container terminals at the ports of Felixstowe, Southampton, London Gateway and Tilbury, an inland terminal at Cannock, and a fleet of more than 150 lorries.

Canadian Pacific and Canadian Tire Corp have developed what they say is North America’s first 60 ft intermodal container, increasing capacity from the current 53 ft containers.

To support its ambitions to become a global logistics operator by 2020, PKP Cargo has signed an agreement to work with Worldwide Logistics to expand its presence in China. ‘Only through presence in this market can we gain competitive advantage that will allow PKP Cargo to become a global operator’, said PKP Cargo President Maciej Libiszewski. ‘It was important that PKP Cargo's expansion in such a large logistic market was thoroughly considered and economically justified. Hence the decision to co-operate with a recognised company, WWL, through which PKP Cargo will soon be able to present our business offer in more than 30 major logistics areas in China.’

Norfolk Southern and PS Technology are to develop software to manage train crew assignment, payroll, leave scheduling and taxi and lodging services for 11 700 staff. ‘The software would optimise train crew assignments by factoring in work schedules and geographical operating credentials, federal regulations and labour contract requirements’, said Fred Ehlers, NS Vice-President IT, on May 2.  ‘In effect, the software analyses data to come up with the best, most efficient match of crew and train.’

Austria’s Forst Holz Papier forest products industries organisation has extended Rail Cargo Group’s freight haulage contract for a further three years. The core timber network is to be upgraded and optimised, with a national capacity management system put in place.