Freight Tracks issue 12

FREIGHT FLEXIWAGGON: GREEN BREAKtHrough TRACKS

Taking over Victoria Station

JULY 18 2022

#12

100,000 lorries off the road

I LIKE DRIVING IN MY CAR

CONTENTS JULY 18 2022

#12

HEADLINE NEWS

6

HS2 CELEBRATES BUCKS RAIL FREIGHT MILESTONE

8

FLEXIWAGGON: GREEN BREAKTHROUGH

10

WASCOSA UK ROLLOUT

REGULARS

29

news review ARTC re-opens Hunter Valley network Knorr-Bremse tests new functions Heritage sale continues at DRS

the Date 36 Keep Railway industry events

Cover photo: GB Railfreight (GBRf) has commenced a new service to move aggregates from Shap Summit Quarry to Battleship Wharf in North Blyth, in the North East of England.

Publisher & Editor: James Graham

If you have any stunning photos of freight trains you might like to see on the cover, send them to freighttracks@gmail.com

Sales Manager: Martin Kingswell Sales Executive: Peter Dolan

editor@freight-tracks.com

Editorial support: Kim Smith Designer: Alex Brown freighttracks@gmail.com

Webmaster: Natasha Antony Contributors: Neil Madden, Chris Lewis, Stuart Flitton, Johnathan Webb. Will Huskisson

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Copyright: 1435 Media London 2022 1435 Media London 259 Sydenham Road Croydon CR0 2ET United Kingdom

Press releases: editor@freight-tracks.com

headline news

G

B Railfreight (GBRf) has commenced a new service to move aggregates from Shap Summit Quarry to Battleship Wharf in North Blyth, in the North East of England.

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The aggregates are being moved for Breedon and will be used for the foundations of a BritishVolt gigaplant, which is strategically important to the UK’s automotive industry and a key component in the drive to the UK achieving Net Zero

by 2050.

GBRf plans to ru until September, wh two trains per day 2023.

Class 66 locomo

un one train per day hen it will then run until around March

otives with 22 MJA

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New GBRf service to support UK’s automotive industry wagons will be used for this service, with over 315,000 tonnes of aggregates being moved over the period of the campaign.

John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, said: “Rail freight has a vital role to play in supporting the economy and in help-

ing companies transition to a greener way of working. The new service demonstrates how transporting material by rail, instead of by road, significantly reduces the environmental impact of important construction projects.”

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 5

headline news

HS2 CELEBRATES BUCKS R

Some 100,000 lorry journeys tak UNITED KINGDOM HS2 has delivered more than a million tonnes of construction material by rail to the high speed rail’s work sites across Buckinghamshire, taking the equivalent of 100,096 HGV journeys off local roads.

The huge milestone was achieved over eighteen months, with 583 trains delivering aggregate to three locations around Calvert and Aylesbury. Transporting this material by rail instead of by road is estimated to have saved 11,399 tonnes of co2 emissions.

The construction of HS2 – which is designed to improve links between London, Birmingham and the north, help level-up the economy and provide a low carbon alternative to car and air travel – is now well underway across Buckinghamshire, with the aggregate used for early works and temporary site access roads.

The first freight railhead opened at Calvert at the end of 2020, with only 180 trains scheduled to deliver aggregate from Hanson quarries in the west of England.

Following the success of the project, new railheads were established near Calvert and Aylesbury to allow a massive increase in the amount of material delivered by rail.

The work is being managed by HS2’s main works contractor EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and Bam Nuttall.

The freight trains were operated by DB Cargo and Hanson and co-ordinated by rail freight specialists, Fishbone. HS2 Project Client, Rohan Perin said: “We are serious about reducing the impact of construction on the local community and every freight train delivering material to site is the equivalent of around 70 trucks that would otherwise be on local roads.

“HS2 will offer zero carbon journey for passengers, but it’s also important that we

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drive down the amount of embedded carbon in construction. We’ve been working closely with Network Rail, EKFB and the Freight Operators for a number of years to make deliveries by rail possible and it’s great to see that our freight trains have now passed the one million tonne mark.”

Across the whole HS2 project, 15,000 freight trains are set to haul 10 million tonnes of aggregate to construction sites – taking the equivalent of 1.5 million HGVs off the UK’s roads.

Optimise deliveries

Head of EKFB Logistics and Security, Chris Barton said: “The EKFB Logistics Team always strives to optimise deliveries where possible and the Material by Rail strategy is central to that. With the support of our partners, Fishbone Solutions, Hanson, DB Cargo, RFS and Mendip Rail, this strategy has allowed EKFB to remove a substantial number of vehicles from the roads adjacent to the construction sites and critically reduce the impacts on local communities, but also transform how we manage logistics on this project.

“It is no small task and we are all immensely proud of our achievements so far, and we now look forward to the next million tonnes.”

The construction milestone comes as HS2 continues to make significant progress across the county. The two tunnelling machines excavating the Chiltern tunnel have both dug almost three miles (4.8 km), the designs for the Calvert Infrastructure Maintenance depot revealed and the first ‘green tunnel’ at Chipping Warden has begun construction. Some of the first archaeological finds will soon go on display at the Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury.

headline news

RAIL FREIGHT MILESTONE

ken off local roads

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 7

headline news

news review

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This no holds barred book looks at incidents, some humourous, some rather less so, that have happened during the rail commute into London over the years.

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headline news

Access to service facilities In a series of blogs, Liz Thornhil , General Counsel, UK Office of Road and Rail (ORR) takes a look at the legal framework that underpins UK railway law

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ail freight brings important economic and environmental benefits to Britain. Yet for freight to perform there needs to be fair and non-discriminatory access to service facilities and services, without which it is impossible to operate. This is just what the current regulatory framework seeks to provide.

Where it all started

The journey began with the Railways Act 1993 (the 1993 Act).

The owner of a light maintenance depot or station (a facility owner) and an applicant (usually a railway undertaking) may agree access to the facility owner’s railways facilities in the form of a regulated access agreement (section 18).

If they cannot agree on the terms, an application can be made to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to give directions to the facility owner requiring it to enter into an access agreement with the applicant (section 17).

Applications are still decided under these provisions today, the outcomes of which can be seen on our website Track access decisions.

Regulation improvements in 2016

The provisions and principles of the 1993 Act were elaborated upon by the Railways Infrastructure (Access & Management) Regulations 2005 and then more fully by the Railways Infrastructure (Access and Management and Licensing of Railway Undertakings) Regulations 2016 (the 2016 regulations).

The 2016 regulations implemented a European Directive and brought changes across the regulatory framework including in relation to track access, access to service facilities, charging, accounting and separation arrangements and more.

At the heart of the 2016 regulations is the requirement for service providers, who are typically owners of ports or freight terminals, to supply fair and non-discriminatory access for all railway undertakings. This includes track access, access to service facilities and the supply of services.

The 2016 regulations strengthened the principle of fair access with changes to the range of entities falling within the regulated regime and an extension of the list of service facilities caught by the ‘minimum access package’.

Refuelling, as well as stations, marshalling yards, storage sidings and freight terminals were all included in the general right of access. The principle of fair, non-discriminatory access should be good business and our guidance makes clear, that where capacity at a service facility is constrained, the 2016 regulations do not create an obligation on the service provider to substitute the applicant railway undertaking’s services for its own or for those of an existing or planned future user.

Instead, a coordination procedure provides a transparent process for deciding, where there is spare capacity, to whom that capacity should be allocated in the event of competing requests.

ORR has a role determining appeals under the regulations, where the matter under appeal is not one falling under sections 17 and 22A of the 1993 Act. An applicant has a right to appeal if it believes it has been unfairly treated by a service provider, infrastructure manager or other relevant entity.

Transparency

But it is worth highlighting the principle of transparency, a thread running through much of the regulatory framework for access. The importance of transparency was underlined most recently in 2017 by the Commission Implementing Regulation 2017/2177 on access to service facilities and rail regulated services, which introduced a requirement on service providers to produce Service Facility Descriptions, following the lead provided by the 2016 regulations.

Together, the legislation aims to ensure prospective entrants to the freight market, and railway undertakings already in the market, have fair access to vital service facilities on transparent terms. ORR is committed to ensuring it plays its part in supporting this aim.

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 7

headline news

FLEXIWAGGON: GREE

SWEDEN Flexiwaggon, the Swedish railway equipment manufacturer, has signed an agreement with the Austrian transport company CRD for delivery of two complete sets of railway wagons.

Flexiwaggon has signed an agreement for delivery of one complete set of railway carriages with an option for one additional set to CRD GmbH. Rge delivery of the first train set is scheduled to take place in Q3 2023.

Since its launch the Austrian transport company CRD has been looking for more sustainable and flexible freight transport solutions.

The owner Christian Drosg already has a well-established logistics company that transports bulk goods by truck in Central Europe. ”Our investment in the Flexiwaggon “Truck on Track solution” means that we now can offer the Central European market flexible and sustainable transports, door to door – at greatly reduced costs compared to current intermodal rail solutions. The Flexiwaggon solution is fast, terminal in-

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dependent and cost effective, significantly reducing fossil fuel emissions – something that is of great importance to our customers," said Hans-Jürgen Stieber, Logistikmanager CRD GmbH

Breakthrough

The agreement is a breakthrough for Flexiwaggon, which in recent years has worked very hard to develop the wagon.

The new wagon is built for speeds up to 160 km/h. It generates its own electricity during operation, enabling charging of electric vehicles and power supply for refrigerated transports. The wagon has a very flexible function for driving on and off vehicles in narrow environments. ”We are extremely happy for the agreement with CRD. It is a breakthrough for Flexiwaggon on the European market. CRD has embraced the Flexiwaggon concept and the agreement means that we now have a established a great partnership for further expansion in Europe," said Jan Eriksson, innovator and founder of Flexiwaggon.

headline news

EN BREAKTHROUGH

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 9

headline news

WASCOSA UK ROLLOUT: TAKI

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headline news

ING OVER VICTORIA STATION E

ighteen months after wagon leasor Wascosa signed a major wagon leasing contract with UK railway network owner and infrastructure manager, Network Rail, the wagons were unveiled at a landmark event in London's historic Victoria railway station.

The event was staged on the station's Platform 2, the venue of he Orient Express departures from the station.

Wascosa, based in Lucerne, Switzerland, will provide a total of 570 wagons, to be built by Greenbrier Europe and which will be maintained as part of the 10-year deal in partnership with leading UK train operator GB Railfreight (GBRf).

In addition to the Falcon box wagons which it will be

which consists of a 60-foot container flat wagon incorporating several innovative superstructures to enable multi-purpose use of the wagon.

The wagons were pulled into the busy London terminus by a GBRf Class 66 loco, No. 66720, which had been named and repainted in Wascosa's colours to mark the relationship.

A few short presentations were made befoe the unveiling of the locomotive. John Smith, GBRf Managing Director; Peter Balzar, Wascosa AG CEO; Mark Tarry, Supply Chain Operations Director, Network Railo; Maggie Simpson, Director General Rail Freigth Group; and Stephen Timms, MP, UK Trade Envoy to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

After the speeches, an opportunity was provided to examines the rail cars in the platform. Attendees were invited to get close up and personal with the rolling stock and address any queries to Wascosa, GBRf and Network Rail officials.

An aftershow party was laid on at a nearby sports bar and venue. In the evening, VIPs enjoyed a celebratory dinner at a leading London Italian restaurant.

18 months ago ... leasing for site work along with JNA Big Box wagons for bulk ballast transportation, Wascosa has developed a modular wagon for the carriage of track panels, sleepers, switches, rails and loose materials, made possible by a range of innovative superstructures which can be mounted on a fleet of 60' container flats. This ground-breaking solution for Network Rail confirms Wascosa as the leading provider of freight wagon systems in Europe and positions the company perfectly for future growth in the UK. Speaking in laste 2020, on the successful outcome of what had been two years of intensive team work, Wascosa chairman and owner, Philipp Müller said: “For Wascosa, this achievement is recognition of our determination to develop efficient and innovative solutions for wagon users. We are delighted to have been selected to serve Network Rail’s wagon needs and look forward to working closely with Network Rail’s SCO team and our partners to deliver a first class service over the coming years.”

Wagon display

The event showcased the Wascosa flex-freight-system,

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WASCOSA UK ROLLOUT: AFTER PARTY AT FLIGHT CLUB VICTOR

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RSHOW RIA, LONDON

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Rail Cargo Group increas transports from Ukraine

Since the beginning of the war, RCG has expo 330,000 tonnes of grain from Ukraine and m transports are planned in future.

S

ince the beginning of the war, Rail Cargo Group (RCG) have been supporting Ukraine with what it does best – transport and logistics services.

In addition to aid shipments to Ukraine offered free of charge to NGOs, RCG is also transporting grain out of Ukraine using all available resources to ensure local cash and storage space for the next sowing and harvesting, and to counteract a rise in food prices globally. These efforts are taking place within the European Commission's Solidarity Lanes Action Plan.

Since the beginning of the war, it has already transported a total of 330,000 tonnes of grain from Ukraine to Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. In other terms, this means one train travels from the Ukrainian

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border to northern Germany every working day.

Each freight train from Ukraine transports around 1300 to 1600 tonnes of grain.

Increase in grain shipments in detail

We increased our grain shipments from Ukraine specifically in June and July 2022. Specifically, shipments to Austria will gradually double to about 2600 tonnes in July 2022 and those to Hungary will increase by up to 66 % meaning 6500 - 9100 tonnes over the same period.

Grain shipments to Germany will remain constant in advance at around 36,000 tonnes per month.

The Hungarian rail transit traffic with Ukrainian

grain in garia cu from Uk 15 trains in Hunga Italy.

RCG Ukrainia stanta a May 202 May 20 barges. of RCG 20,000 t

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ses grain

orted more

ncreased enormously recently. Rail Cargo Hunurrently handled about 75% of grain transports kraine to Hungary. This currently amounts to 10s per week. About 70 % of the volume remains ary, the remaining 30 % goes abroad, mainly to

G has also carried out rail shipments from the an town of Reni to the Romanian port of Conadding up to over 33,500 tonnes of grain until 22. Due to the lack of diesel fuel supply from 022, it was necessary to switch to the use of Currently, four barges are operating on behalf from Reni to Constanta via waterway. Around tonnes of grain can be transported per month.

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 15

headline news

Canadian Pacific joins the United Nation's Global Compact

C

anadian Pacific has become the first freight rail company in North America to participate in the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of socially responsible business practices. Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 15,000 participating companies in over 160 countries.

"CP's participation in the UN Global Compact marks an important milestone as we advance our commitments

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and position as a sustainability leader in the rail industry," said Keith Creel, CP's President and Chief Executive Officer.

"CP is proud to join thousands of other companies globally committed to sustainable and responsible business action."

CP is committed to aligning our strategies and operations with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption and taking action in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. CP will continue to demonstrate measurable impact on

July 18 2022 @freighttracks

these goals through periodic updates and annual reporting to the UN Global Compact.

CP recently received the 2022 World Finance Sustainability Award for Most Sustainable Company in Transportation.

This marks the third consecutive year that World Finance has recognized CP for its longstanding commitment to implementing sustainability measures across the organisation.

Additionally, Corporate Knights has recognised CP as the top-rated freight transport company in Canada's 'Best 50 Corporate Citizens' for 2022.

headline news

RCG moves 60,000 tonnes across the Arlberg

Stefan Kizlink (l.), Geschäftsführer Katzenberger and Gottfried Eymer, Vorstand ÖBB Rail Cargo Group

S

ince April 2021, 20 wagons loaded with tubbings for a highway tunnel have been rolling from Tirol to Switzerland once a week. The total volume of the pioneering end-to-end transport is 60,000 tonnes. ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is the leading rail logistics specialist in Europa and offers efficient, multimodal end-toend logistics solutions as far as Asia.

One example is a truly mammoth project which RCG is successfully implementing on behalf of the company

Katzenberger. Specifically, RCG is transporting tubbings, which are prefabricated concrete segments (outer shells) used as reinforcement in tunnel construction.

The segments are intended for rehabilitating the Kerenzerberg road tunnel Filzbach in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland.

The highway section of the A3 has aged and needs to be repaired. Preparations began in spring 2020 - on April 7 2021 the first tubbings were loaded in Jenbach to be transported to Weesen,

Switzerland for the project.

Loaded wagons

The transports are to be completed by early 2023. A train with 20 loaded wagons now leaves Jenbach station in Tirol for Switzerland once a week. The traffic-plagued Tyrolean population also benefits – a volume of around 60,000 tonnes, transported into Switzerland by sustainable trains, means around 4100 fewer lorry journeys (including empty trips) clogging up the roads.

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 17

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ITALY TX Logistik AG is increasing the number of trains on its intermodal connection between Cologne and Bologna. From July 9, the number of round trips increased from five to six per week. The reason for this is the growing demand in both economic regions for rail transport capacities on this route through Switzerland.

TX Logistik included the route in its timetable at the beginning of 2021. It connects the Cologne North terminal with the

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Interporto Bologna terminal. The route runs via the Gotthard axis, whose expansion was completed in 2020. Since then, semitrailers with a corner height of four metres can also be transported intermodally by rail through Switzerland.

The switch to the P400 profile has significantly increased demand for combined transport services on the Gotthard route.

TX Logistik has taken into account this development with

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TX LOGISTIK OPERATES MORE TRAINS BETWEEN COLOGNE AND BOLOGNA

the additional round trip. The rail logistics company, which is part of the Mercitalia Group (Gruppo FS Italiane), and its subsidiaries TX Logistik Switzerland and TX Logistik Transalpine are responsible for all services ‒ from marketing of transportation capacities to traction ‒ entirely under their own management. Modern multi-system locomotives are used, staffed by locomotive drivers from TX Logistik.

Up to 34 loading units fit on one train. In addition to

semi-trailers, mega-trailers, swap bodies and containers are also transported. They are loaded in Cologne and Bologna every day, with the exception of Sunday.

With the higher train frequency on the Cologne ‒ Bologna route, TX Logistik is making a further contribution to modal shift and climate protection. Compared to transport by truck, rail transport saves around 23,000 tonnes of CO2 per year with six round trips per week.

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 19

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Images from Twitter CABLE THE

STATION CO

L

ast year, Twitter user @BrianNe08342467 (Brian Newton) caught this railway scene as the world battled the pandemic and has just posted it.

He tweeted: " A brief moment in time on a blisteringly hot 8/9/2021. The signalman at Great Rocks Junction hands the token to the driver of DB 66099 which has brought a train from Walsall Freight Terminal for reloading at Dowlow. Savour the scene while you can!"

Given that the idea for the use of a system of tokens was proposed by Mr Henry Woodhouse for Standedge Tunnels, in the north of England, in 1849, these two railway workers must surely be some of the last to handle a physical token as the rise of digital railway signalling or control continues?

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SOUTH AFRICA The recent spike in cable thefts i in the country has critically constrained coal by ra Majuba power station. At the heart of this is that tion of the network, owned by Eskom, that feeds into Majuba has been severely damaged by the overhead cables and critical overhead track equ Eskom has been unable to restore the overhe equipment.

As part of contractual arrangements betw (Transnet Freight Rail) and Eskom, TFR delivers co to the Majuba power station at a maximum trains per day in line with the current capacity o kom-owned section of the line. TFR could previo six trains per day. However, as a result of rampa theft and vandalism the system is now constr three days per day. TFR’s electrically-powered locomotives are unable to deliver trains directl Majuba power station. TFR is forced to change locomotives, which are already limited, for the la the trip, creating delays and operational difficultie spike in cable theft incidents on the Container and in the Delmas – Ogies area have made even t trains per day impossible to achieve. The cable th Delmas – Ogies area has not only affected TFR op but has led to numerous train cancellations by cu due to disruptions of mine operations.

On July 5, two guards were attacked, with o and one critically injured, during a cable theft in the Sentrarand area. This highlights the gravity TFR contends with daily. In this particular inciden of cable was stolen. Sentrarand forms part of the Corridor which serves as crucial junction feeding corridors – incidents in this region have devastati effects across the network.

In an official statement, Transnet says: “TFR w to take this opportunity to send its sincere condol the family of the guard that lost his life. One life lo fight against cable theft is one life too many. TF a speedy recovery to the critically injured guard, tinue to call for heavier regulation of scrap meta and increased law enforcement to protect econ essential infrastructure.”

TFR appeals to the general public to assist in against this scourge by contacting the Crime-Stop on 0860 010111 to report any suspicious activiti and around the rail network.

headline news

EFT DISRUPTS MAJIBA POWER OAL DELIVERIES BY RAIL

incidents ail to the t the pors directly e theft of uipment. ead track

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Logistics UK: Funding for Scotland’s rail network is a ‘positive step’ UNITED KINGDOM The UK rail infrastructure manager Network Rail’s announcement that it will invest more than £120m of Scottish Government funding to boost the electric power supply of Scotland’s railway network over the next three years will help speed the network’s move to decarbonisation, according to Logistics UK. Alexandra Herman, Public Policy Manager at Logistics UK, comments: “Improved infrastructure is a core element of the decarbonisation process.

"The investment in the electrification of Scotland’s railways will not only support the Scottish government’s net zero ambitions, but, combined with improved infrastructure and increased capacity, will help to potentially increase freight on the railways. Logistics UK looks forward to working with Network Rail, Scottish Government and its members to support modal shift and move more goods by rail, where possible.”

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, represent-

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ing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods.

With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc.

Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.

For more information about the organisation and its work, including its ground-breaking research into the impacts of COVID-19 on the whole supply chain, please visit logistics. org.uk

July 18 2022 @freighttracks

UK rail freight growth target to be explored

UNITED KINGDOM The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) has launched a call for evidence on designing and delivering a rail freight growth target. The call for evidence runs from July 5 to September 27 2022.

In the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the UK government committed to setting a rail freight growth target.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has commissioned the Great British Railways Transition Team to develop a range of rail freight growth target options; a key part of this commission is to engage with industry through a formal GBRTT-led call for evidence.

The purpose of this call for evidence is to develop an understanding of how much of the current and future market demand for freight could be met by rail, and the role rail can play in the nation’s supply chains.

The call for evidence will help GBRTT to understand the realistic volume of goods that could be transferred to rail; where the potential for future rail freight traffic exists and where new rail terminals could be needed.

This call for evidence is a key way in which we are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure an evidence-based approach to the development of our growth target options. To build this evidence base, GBRTT wants to get views and ideas from the widest possible range of stakeholders within and beyond the rail and logistics sectors on how to increase the amount of freight that is moved by rail.

Responses will be used to inform future rail freight growth target options for the UK rail network. A summary report of the responses will be published in autumn 2022.

headline news

NGFA submits comments to STB on private railcar proceeding

UNITED STATES The US NGFA (National Grain and Feed Association) submitted opening comments on June 30 to a petition for rulemaking at the Surface Transportation Board (STB) that would incentivise Class I railroads to more efficiently use the freight railcars supplied by railcar owners, shippers, and other non-railroad entities.

“It is more evident than ever that an update to the rules governing the railroads’ use of private railcars is long overdue,” NGFA’s comments noted.

“The systemic inefficient use of private railcars by the Class I railroads has driven rail users to spend considerable sums of money to acquire and maintain fleets of railcars which are often more than the amount that should be needed for their business uses,” the comments noted.

NGFA and other stakeholders, including the North America Freight Car Association, the Chlorine Institute and the National Oilseed Processors Association, filed a petition for rulemaking in July 2021, after which the Board decided to open a proceeding on the matter, soliciting public comments in early April this year. In its April 1 decision, STB posed several questions relating to the proposed regulations, which are addressed in the opening comments submitted this week.

NGFA and the other petitioners have proposed that STB adopt regulations to allow private railcar providers to assess a “private railcar delay charge” when a private freight car does not move for more than 72 consecutive hours.

The overall goal of the proposal is to “maximize the Class I railroads’ efficient use of private railcars without unduly infringing upon the railroads’ freight operations over their respective systems, recognizing that some level of service variability is inherent in any railroad’s operations.”

Notably, the Class I railroads have established 24 hours as the maximum amount of time a railroad-owned railcar may be in the hands of a rail customer before they assess penalties on the customer.

As noted in the opening comments, 73% of the railcars in service today in the North American rail network are private railcars for which shippers and other parties have spent tens of billions of dollars.

The implementation of “precision scheduled railroading” and other measures to scale back employees and rail equipment assets and services have resulted in private railcars left idling for multiple days.

“The lack of financial incentives for the Class I railroads to operate private railcars efficiently has contributed greatly to the systemic deterioration of rail service nationwide to the low point it has reached in the months since the petition was filed and the April 1 decision was issued,” the petitioners’ comments stated.

NGFA and the other groups note that its proposed regulations are necessary because there are no other viable mechanisms in place to incentivise the Class I railroads to use private railcars more efficiently.

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headline news

SUDLEASING ORDERS 20 XLOAD FOR SBB CARGO

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wiss company SBB Cargo International AG, in co-operation with SüdLeasing GmbH, has ordered 20 Vectron multi-system locomotives including the XLoad equipment package from Siemens Mobility.

The locomotives will be leased by SBB Cargo International from SüdLeasing via a long-term rental concept with a flexible term.

The contract also includes maintenance of the vehicles by Siemens Mobility. Vectron XLoad is an equipment package to improve friction coefficient utilisation with the aim of carrying increased trailer loads.

Among other things, XLoad enables operations on the north-south axis, where in future only one instead of two four-axle locomotives will be needed.

The Vectron locomotives are designed for a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h. Delivery of the vehicles will take place from 2024.

Swiss customers

“We are delighted about the expansion of SBB Cargo International’s Vectron fleet and thank them for the trust they have placed in us and our locomotives.

This order brings the number of Vectron sold to Swiss customers to over 100.

Thanks to XLoad, the vehicles achieve a tractive effort utilisation that was previously not possible with four-axle locomotives.

“Our customer can thus use the locomotives even more efficiently in the Alpine region,” says Albrecht Neumann, CEO Rolling Stock of Siemens Mobility.

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0 VECTRON LOCOS WITH INTERNATIONAL

“The Vectron is the ideal locomotive for our transports, interoperable between the ARA ports (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp) and Italy.

“With the additional feature XLoad, we are able to run longer and heavier trains in single traction through the Alps.

“In many cases, it is possible to dispense with an otherwise obligatory lead locomotive.

“As the achievable weights for combined transport trains are limited by the maximum permissible train length, there is no need to use a more expensive six-axle locomotive,” says Sven Flore, CEO SBB Cargo International AG.

Transalpine traffic

The 20 new locomotives in total will be used by SBB Cargo International for transalpine traffic. They will be approved for operation in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The locomotives are equipped with the European train control system ETCS BL3 as well as the necessary national train control systems.

Siemens Mobility has already sold more than 1400 Vectron locomotives to a total of 62 customers.

The locomotives have already covered more than 585 million fleet kilometres in commercial service and received approvals in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia,Sweden and Switzerland.

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 25

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www.freight-tracks.com May 9 2022 n X

news review

ARTC re-opens Hunter Valley network to limited services

T

he Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) would like to advise that a graduated return to service with limited operations will begin on the Hunter Valley network in New South Wales.

This follows successful restoration work by local authorities, ARTC and our contractors after the network was closed on July 5th due to heavy rainfall causing serious flooding in Maitland and surrounding areas.

The State Emergency Service (SES) opened the floodgates at Maitland Station on Wednesday and ARTC and our contractors have been working on assessing damage to track and reinstating signaling and track equipment.

The first trains to resume this evening will be coal trains that will be delivering to local power stations, with more

coal trains expected to run on Friday.

ARTC will continue to monitor track conditions very closely but other train services including grain and other goods are expected to resume over the weekend.

Network closure

During the network closure ARTC has been working closely with customers, including power generators and relevant authorities, including the SES, on resuming services as soon as safely possible.

Wayne Johnson, ARTC Group Executive Hunter Valley network said: “We are very pleased to have trains resuming service on the Hunter Valley network so soon after such a major flooding event.

“Getting services back so soon is testament to outstanding work by our

team and our contractors, showing commendable resilience in extremely difficult working conditions.

“We have prioritised coal trains as the first trains to resume service given the importance of resuming supply to power stations, with agricultural products for food production to commence soon after. ARTC would like to thank our customers and the local community for their patience during this disruption to normal services.

“We would also like to thank local authorities including Maitland City Council, Transport for NSW, with a special call out to the NSW Police and the State Emergency Service, for their co-operation during this difficult period.

“We will keep the local community informed as we move the network back to normal operations.”

HERITAGE FLEET SALE CONTINUES AT DRS

UNITED KINGDOM The fourth tranche of Direct Rail Services’ (DRS) heritage stock is now available for sale says the company.

This sale will see 10 Class 37 locomotives on a buy and lease back scheme, and also three other locomotives offered for sale.

Locomotives 37218, 37401, 37419, 37402, 37407, 37422, 37423, 37424, 37425, 37716 are all offered as part of the buy and lease back scheme.

Locomotives 37069, 37602 and 57002 are offered for sale.

Bidders will need to register on the website and use the reference CTM

15583 or CTM 15584 to download the tender documents.

The process will run until Friday 29

July 25 and is another chapter in DRS’s push for lower carbon locomotives and ambitious fleet modernisation plans.

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 29

news review

UNITED KINGDOM Did you know that one full train load of steel coil produces over 1000 new cars or

30 n

July 18 2022 @freighttracks

60,000 white goods? DB Cargo UK launched a newly liveried class 60 locomotive to celebrate the role of

rail freight in the portation. "Steel used to transport

e UK metal transon Steel" will be t steel coil to DB

news review

Cargo UK's centre of excellence for steel logistics in Wolverhampton.

The Wolverhampton Steel Lo-

gistics Centre has the capacity to store approximately 48,000 tonnes of steel,

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 31

news review

KNORR-BREMSE TEST AND BUILDS DAC PR

D

r Nicolas Lange, Chairman of the Management Board of KnorrBremse Rail Vehicle Systems says: “The key to shifting freight to rail is to digitalise and automate the rail freight sector in Europe, which still largely depends – for the time being, at least – on manual operations. With our current initiatives for developing new automation functions, as well as our DAC prototypes, we’re showing that we lead the field when it comes to producing the key innovations that will make rail freight substantially better, more efficient and more competitive over the next few years.”

Knorr-Bremse’s FreightControl automa-

32 n

July 18 2022 @freighttracks

tion system comprises a new kind of electronics that combines centralized railcar intelligence with innovative sensor technology for the braking system. Because the train is not yet fitted with DACs, so does not have a trainwide data bus, the data signal for the brake testing system is transmitted wirelessly. The train will be retrofitted starting in 2023 and is due to go into service in 2024.

The trial promises to deliver valuable insights into the potential benefits of automated brake testing for rail freight in general. Today, the brakes on the 500,000 or so freight cars in the EU are still manually tested by rail yard personnel – so brake testing is an ex-

ceptionally time-consu process.

Once testing can b driver’s cab using, for tablet, it will help ens are ready for departure Knorr-Bremse will t trial to further accelera its train automation sys As well as automa will include other fun composition recognitio itoring and an electro trol system. Together w result in a package of

news review

TS NEW FUNCTIONS ROTOTYPES

uming step in the setup

be carried out from the r example, a handheld sure that freight trains e significantly faster. take advantage of this ate the development of stem. ated brake testing, this nctions such as train on, train integrity monopneumatic brake conwith the DAC, this will tightly interconnected

solutions for digital freight trains. And thanks to Knorr-Bremse’s active involvement in the Europe’s Joint Rail Undertaking (ERJU), the package will be interoperable, meaning fully compatible with all operators’ systems and fleets.

Consequently, it will help dramatically improve the process efficiency and competitiveness of the rail industry as a whole.

Knorr-Bremse is also making major progress in developing the DAC (FreightLink), and has assembled the first prototypes at its main plant in Budapest. Top priorities include safety, durability and performance. Made of special steel, the coupling system can withstand

the enormous torsional and longitudinal forces generated when freight trains are moving, braking or maneuvering.

At the same time, Knorr-Bremse has focused on optimizing the DAC’s life cycle costs and ensuring that it can be maintained efficiently.

The Knorr-Bremse DAC is an enabler in every sense – both of train automation functions and of digital services.

Knorr-Bremse will subject the latest DAC design to extensive testing on its new, custom-built test rig in Budapest, focusing in particular on the coupling and uncoupling of rail vehicles.

www.freight-tracks.com July 18 2022 n 33

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BECAUSE NOT ALL FREIGHT ON A TRAIN MOVES IN A BOX 20 nn XX

www.freight-tracks.com June 6 2022 n XX

visit: tankcontainermedia.com

May June9 62022 2022 @freighttracks @freighttracks

KEEP THE DATE: Railway industry calendar of events

18 July 24-25 August 07-08 September 08 September 22-25 August 14-16 September 16-22 September 20-23 September 27 September 30 September 04-06 October 05 October 05-07 October 12-13 October 13-14 October 19-20 October 19-20 October 19-21 October November TBC 07-09 November 08-10 November 09 November 14-17 November 15-17 November 29 Nov - 01 Dec 07-08 December 08 December

Lake Geneva, USA Halberstadt, Germany Warsaw, Poland London, UK Montpellier, France Munich, Germany Europe Berlin, Germany Worldwide Manchester, UK Berlin, Germany London, UK Prague, Chezchia Germany Nis, Serbia Debrecen, Hungary Jakarta, Indonesia Berlin, Germany Barcelona, Spain Warsaw, Poland Amsterdam, Netherlands Stockholm, Sweden Lisbon, Portugal TBC Malaga, Spain Duisberg, Germany Paris, France

Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) Summer Meeting CRSC Information Day and Member Meeting Rail Freight Summit RFG Awards Dinner International Conference on Railway Technology 17th Conference on Critical Information Infrastructures Security European Mobility Week innoTrans World Freight Train Day Rail in the North of England EPCA Annual Meeting RFG Annual Conference International Rail Forum Conference Rail Infra Forum Railcon Rail Freight on Tour RailwayTech Indonesia Deutsche Logistik Kongress BCNRAIL Internacional Rail Forum 9th International Transport & Logistics Exhibition Intermodal Europe Scandinavian Rail Optimisation Transport Research Arena Intelligent Rail Summit 2022 Rail Live 2022 European Silk Road Summit 101st UIC General Assembly

Lille France Birmingham, UK Milan, Italy

13th International Exhibition of Railway Technology Railtex Expo Ferroviaria

2023 28-30 March 09-11 May 03-05 October

If you would like your event listed here free of charge, just send details to freighttracks@gmail.com 36 n

July 18 2022 @freighttracks

Hi CUBE BOXCARS

SMALL SCALE RAIL FREIGHT

DO YOU TAKE MILK?

In each issue of Freight Tracks we look at scale model versions of modern and old school freight rolling stock and infrastructure DAPOL O Gauge 6 Wheel Milk Tanker United Dairies

RAILROADS HAVE BEEN CARRYING FREIGHT SINCE DAY 1.

IT’S NOW DAY 71,518.

WORLD FREIGHT TRAIN DAY 2022 will celebrate the drivers, yard staff, loaders, planners and workshop staff who get the freight through.

Freight Tracks will work with railroads and Freight Operating Companies to promote the importance of the modern freight train in the global supply chain. The date marks the day the world’s first public railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway in England, opened.

That was 71,406 days ago today.

Join us as over the next seven months, we will plan a series of events and projects that salute the Freight Train in all its importance.

KEEP THE DATE:

September 27, 2022