Freight Tracks issue 25

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Railcar lessors are service providers that offer railcars on a rental basis for a specified duration of time as per a contract. They provide a range of railcars and numerous associated services, such as repair and maintenance; and tax, insurance and other financial services; which are managed by various asset management agencies.

Railcar lease facilities are used when equipment is needed to transport a plethora of goods, including metals and mining, oil & gas products, agri-produce and food & beverage products, temperature-sensitive goods and numerous other industrial items.

Demand for railcar leasing across the world is set to increase over the coming years, with Asia Pacific leading the market share, followed by North America and Europe, according to a report published by Fact.MR. The report looks

at the railcar leasing market with forecasts for the period of 2020 to 2030.

The foremost objective of the report is to pitch insights on the market scenario, demand generators and technological advancements in this space. Gondolas, boxcars, and hopper cars are most sought-after as far as railcar leasing is concerned, say the authors.

The report further proceeds with the market taxonomy, elaborating on key segments, along with insights on the dynamics of the market, including the drivers, restraints, opportunities, trends and pricing analysis.

From 2015 to 2019, the global railcar leasing market exhibited an impressive growth rate of 8%. Over the forecast period of 2020-2030, this industry is expected to show remarkable growth prospects. This is attributed to the fact that, industrialisation is on the rise in a majority

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of high potential areas across the world.

A standard freight wagon came at a cost of less than $50,000 a decade earlier. Today, it stands between $100,000 and $150,000. This has been the main reason for a majority of consumers increasingly opting for railcar leasing instead of purchasing a newer railcar.

Lease versus buy

The tech-enabled rail logistics provider Commtrex considers that "companies participating in the rail industry each have their own unique relationship with rail equipment.

"The decision to lease versus buy a railcar is made by evaluating operational costs and risks, market activity and an array of other economic factors."

However, various during-lease operating costs and responsibilities, such as maintenance, are included in a full-service lease (FSL), and accrue to the lessor, while under a net lease, these costs and responsibilities are borne by the lessee.

Leases are primarily long-term, multi-year commitments. Despite the potentially long duration of a lease, typically about seven years, it is still a shorter commitment than owning a railcar for its entire lifespan, which could last for decades.

Commtrex points out "there are a variety of reasons that a company may choose to lease, rather than buy railcars. Shippers may face challenges in attempting to purchase railcars due to lack of capital or credit and thus may find they have no alternative to leasing equip-

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ment. Leasing rather than purchasing equipment eliminates risk factors associated with ownership, as well as allowing for greater cash flow by reducing capital requirements."

Depending on the type of lease chosen, the lessor may assume the responsibility of maintenance and repair of the leased railcars, thus freeing the lessee from these logistical complications

Railcar leases exist solely because there is a need on behalf of a shipper to move product. Due to the wide array of industries that move product via rail, there are many types of railcar leases available. These leases fall into two categories; operating leases and capital (or finance) leases. An operating lease is considered a "right of usage" lease since the lessor only conveys the right to use the equipment, not the right to eventually own the equipment. Conversely, a finance lease is a "right of ownership" lease since both the right to use and own the equipment is conveyed to the lessee.

To determine whether the lease is an operating or finance lease, four tests are applied to the lease. They are:

n Is the term of the lease greater than 75% of the remaining life of the car?

n Is the present value of the lease stream greater than 90% of the fair market value of the car?

n Does the lease provide for a change in ownership from the lessor to the lessee?

n Does the lease contain a "bargain purchase" (or below market price) option to the lessee?

If the answer to any of these four tests is yes, the lease is considered a finance lease, other-

wise it is an operating lease.

Commercial operations

In 2021, European train and locomotive lessors Akiem, Railpool and MRCE established the international non-profit Association of European Rail Rolling Stock Lessors (AERRL), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The purpose of AERRL is to promote interoperable, sustainable, efficient, and safe passenger and goods rolling stock for European railways. As key members of the rail transport ecosystem, rail rolling stock lessors have an important role to play in giving railway operators the opportunity to develop efficient, innovative and sustainable passenger and goods transport services. AERRL is strongly determined to support this through: - contributing to the dialogue on issues relating to rail rolling stock and railway ecosystems at European level and developing strong ties with existing representative bodies in order to assist the EU to meet its 2030 CO2 emissions targets. - extending access to rolling stock, supporting development of European rail freight corridors, including realistic and affordable upgrades of rolling stock to ETCS, promoting a more competitive European market in maintenance and spare parts.

Companies that lease freight cars are some of the most well-known names in the industry; almost as well-known as their clients.

Beacon Rail leases some 1,100 freight wagons across 17 countries, while other key players include American Railcar, Brunswick Rail Managament, Rail Release, CIT Group, GATX, Mitsui Rail Capital, The Greenbrier Companies, Trinity Industries, Union Tank Car Company, VTG and Ermewa.

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Operating lease

An operating lease generally is a shorter-term lease in which equipment is returned to the lessor at the end of the contract period with no further commitment required. In this type of lease, the lessor assumes all the risk as they are essentially letting the lessee borrow equipment for a monthly fee.

Lessors may choose to lease equipment under operating leases because it allows them to keep the equipment on their balance sheets and consider rental payments as revenue. Tax implications are one of the many factors that must be considered by two parties entering into a lease.

On the other hand, lessees may seek this type of lease if they will need continually upgraded equipment. A lessee can choose to repeatedly renew an operating lease, resulting in access to new equipment at the end of the lease every few years.

Choosing which kind of lease best suits the needs of a lessee is dependent upon many factors. After identifying a need for cars and determining whether to buy or lease, lessees must evaluate pricing between leasing companies. Price is the amount of money charged per car per month, and is affected by equipment demand and availability, lease terms and conditions and railcar specifications.

What drives price?

Equipment demand. The availability of a given type of railcar, at a given point in time, has the largest impact on the lease rate that a lessee will be offered when they are in the market

to lease railcars. It does not matter how large or small the overall size of the fleet is for the type of railcar the lessee is seeking.

What matters is the number of cars in that fleet that are available for lease at that given point in time. This is the basic economic principle of supply and demand. Conversely, when a fleet has a high rate of utilisation, which indicates greater demand, lease rates increase. A good barometer for this is the railcar surplus, which is defined as the number of railcars that are currently underutilised and in storage. The larger the railcar surplus, the lower lease rates will be. “The former is ideal for lessees and the latter is preferred for lessors,” notes Commtrex. Freight demand. Railcars exist to move freight, and the overall demand for rail freight transportation drives the equipment demand for railcars.

A shipper seeking to lease railcars in a particular segment must not only consider their own current and future shipment volume needs. They must also consider this against the overall freight demand in that segment, as well as the availability of railcars serving that segment. This affects the number of cars they need to lease, and the terms and conditions they will seek from their lessors— a key component in leasing.

The ideal situation for a lessee is for high shipment volumes to coincide with high railcar availability, which would likely result in lower lease rates. Many commodities shipped via rail are closely tied to the economy, while others remain relatively stable over time. For example, the construction industry is heavily dependent upon the economy. The market slows when the economy is doing poorly but expands during

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periods of economic stability or growth. Shippers of construction products, or other goods tied to the economy, must consider the market outlook when agreeing to a lease term, which is the duration of a lease.

Lease term. Generally, the longer a lessee is willing to commit to a car, the lower the lease rate will be. Lessors offer a lease rate discount for a longer lease term, which the lessor views as lowering its market risk. This is a similar concept to a consumer purchasing a vehicle –choosing to finance a car over a longer period of time means a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments, as opposed to paying it off

more quickly by making larger monthly payments.

While this is typically true of railcar leases, it is not a hard and fast rule. Some leasing companies may feel confident in their ability to re-market their cars and will not offer lease rate discounts for longer terms, instead preferring shorter duration leases that come with a higher monthly rate.

This allows them to string together multiple back-to-back leases at a higher rate than if they had agreed to a longer-term lease at a lower rate. Interest rates can also be a consideration for a lessee when selecting a lease, particular-

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ly when new railcars are involved, Commtrex adds.

Railcar specifications. Within a particular railcar fleet segment there are specifications that differentiate cars and their capabilities.

ment.

These service costs can include responsibility for maintenance costs, into-service costs, transportation costs, return condition provisions, and other items. A car with state-of-the-

Some railcars have greater capacities than others, some are equipped to carry hazardous materials, others can ship liquids, some are temperature controlled, and so on.

Highly specialised cars serving niche markets may be leased for a different price than cars that are able to move a larger variety of commodities. The size, capacity, age and condition of a car can all affect the lease rate.

Lease terms and conditions. Beyond the duration of the lease there can be specific terms and conditions that affect the lease rate. The party responsible for service costs (the lessor or the lessee) will be detailed in a lease agree-

art features will cost the lessee more to lease than an older car with less desirable features. Cars that require more maintenance and repair can have higher lease rates.

Some railcars have mandatory retirement ages, which can also affect a lease rate. Even the location of a railcar can impact the lease rates due to the costs associated with moving the car into service.

Choosing a lease can be complicated due to the many factors affecting lease rates. Both lessees and lessors have much to consider, and the risk involved in leasing railcars is greatly scrutinised by all parties entering into a rental

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agreement. Some of these factors are set by the market factors present at a given time and may be beyond the control of either the lessee or the lessor to affect. However, other factors can be controlled by either party, given that they understand the detailed dynamics of leasing a railcar.

Finance lease

The purpose of a finance lease is to ultimately gain ownership of the leased equipment. Finance leases are useful when a lessee does not have the necessary capital to purchase the equipment or the term of their business need is shorter than the expected life of the equipment. Monthly payments made throughout the duration of the lease will amount to a sizable portion of total purchase cost or fair market value of the equipment and at the end of the lease there is generally a purchase option that the lessee can exercise to gain ownership of the equipment.

Finance leases allow the lessee immediate access to use the leased equipment. Should the lessee cease to make the required monthly payments, the lessor may choose to repossess the equipment.

A finance lease is not a loan.

Finance leases are almost always net leases with the lessee having responsibility for all maintenance and repair costs associated with the equipment under this type of lease, as well as taxes and insurance.

Purchase (or sale) leasebacks

The rail industry serves a wide variety of markets. Volatility within these markets can some-

times result in a shipper possessing a surplus of unused cars. Railcars in storage do not generate revenue and therefore may hurt a shipper’s financial position. Also, it is not uncommon for a shipper that owns its own railcars to decide that it wants to reduce its financial exposure and monetise some of its equipment, while still maintaining the usage of those railcars.

An option for shippers facing these dilemmas is to seek out purchase or sale leaseback opportunities.

This type of lease occurs when a lessor purchases unused cars from a shipper. The cars are then leased back to the shipper by the lessor. The purpose of this type of lease is to free up capital while retaining access to cars. In some cases, the shipper may eventually purchase the cars back from the lessor, though this is not an absolute.

Per Diem lease

Most operating, and all finance leases, are fixed-rate, "promise to pay" leases. Per diem leases do not have fixed rates. Rather, the rental stream for usage of the cars is paid to the lessor through the collection of railroad car hire payments which are both hourly and mileage rates. As such, per diem leases are done between lessors and railroad lessees, and involve railcars that operate on railroad reporting marks. Some shipper lessees have per diem leases but generally through short line railroads that they own. By their nature, per diem leases do not generate even monthly lease payments and add an element of market risk to the lessor.

They are most commonly used for leasing boxcars, but some gondolas and covered hoppers are leased on a per diem basis.

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Q & A with Martin

In your opinion, what is the general state of the US rail freight industry at the moment and into the future?

The US rail freight industry has several tailwinds that are shaping up for a strong trajectory moving forward. The industry is undergoing a renaissance primarily driven by shippers prioritising ESG efforts, modal flexibility, and increased visibility. The two primary factors that are most bullish for rail are that it is the most sustainable and fuel-efficient way to move freight by land when it comes to reducing a shipper’s carbon footprint. Additionally, it’s the most economical way to move freight travellng over 500 miles between origin and destination.

Environmental sustainability efforts are one of the top priorities for both commodity consumers/producers and retailers. There are major internal initiatives they are taking to increase the percentage of freight being moved by rail versus truck. Railroads account for ~40% of long-distance freight volume but only 1.9% of US transport-related GHG emissions. Moving freight by rail versus truck reduces GHG emissions by up to 75%. At Commtrex, we saw

an over 18% increase in 2022 of shippers who have never moved freight by rail that are now integrating rail into their transportation programmes. We anticipate this to increase to over 27% in 2023. Class 1 railroads intermodal transport divisions (the movement of goods using multiple modes of transportation, including rail, truck, and ship) will be benefactors of this tailwind. As an example, major transportation companies such as J.B. Hunt are committing to cut emissions by almost one-third in 12 years, and the primary way their doing that is by converting freight shipments from over-the-road truck to intermodal service hence why they are expanding their container fleet to as many as 150,000 containers in the next three to five years.

Moving freight by rail is also the most fuel-efficient way transportation method. US freight railroads, on average, move one ton of freight, nearly 500 miles per gallon of fuel.

One train can carry the freight of hundreds of trucks, which also reduces highway congestion.

Shifting freight from trucks to rail also reduces highway wear and tear and minimises lost productivity, cargo delays, and other direct/indirect costs associated with congestion and pollution.

martin lew is CEO of texas-based commtrex, a technology company that provides software solutions for the rail and transportation industries, including leasing activity tracking and management.

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Is your leasing activity any bellwether of US industry output?

While Commtrex;s leasing activity can provide insight into the state of the rail and transportation industries, it is not necessarily a bellwether for overall US industry output.

Leasing activity, in general, can be an indicator of demand for equipment and resources within a specific industry, and it can reflect the level of investment and growth in that industry. For example, if there is an increase in leasing activity for rail cars and locomotives, it may indicate an increase in demand for rail transportation and growth in that sector.

However, its important to note that leasing activity is just one aspect of the overall health of the rail and transportation industries. It should be considered in conjunction with other indicators, such as freight volume, revenue, and profitability.

Are you a broker or an intermediary between parties?

Commtrex is a technology and rail logistics company that provides solutions for the rail and transportation industries. One of our solutions is a platform that connects different parties in the rail and transportation industry, such as shippers, railroads, transloaders, terminals, ports, warehouses and equipment providers. In this sense, Commtrex can be considered an intermediary between parties.

Our platform allows shippers to find available railserved transload, terminal, and warehouse capacity. It also enables shippers to identify and connect with class 1 and short-line railroads, rail services providers, and lessors. The platform also provides tools for parties to manage the leasing process, including tracking equipment, scheduling pickups and deliveries, and generating invoices.

Commtrex also provides physical rail logistics and fleet management services so that shippers can focus on their core business and outsource their rail logistics. Commtrex recently announced a strategic partnership with Railinc (owned by the seven class 1 railroads) to provide ship-

pers with physical rail logistics and advisory services while leveraging their rail TMS system and data analytics to provide effective systems for shippers to manage their rail shipments.

Commtrex also provides a significant database of content (via three weekly newsletters distributed to over 10k supply chain professionals) and online education resources such as its rail 101’s, ask the experts articles, and Top 10 lists to keep the industry informed on the latest news and trends. The platform serves as a centralised platform for connecting the supply and demand of the industry with an unparalleled repository of content and data analytics for shippers.

How easy is it to find and work with railcar owners?

Finding and working with railcar owners can vary in ease depending on a few factors, such as the type of railcar needed, the location, and the specific needs of the shipper.

One way to find railcar owners is through the Commtrex online railcar leasing and purchasing marketplace, which connects shippers with railcar owners and equipment providers/manufacturers. This platform simplifies and makes it much easier for shippers to search for and procure available railcars, compare prices and terms, and initiate the leasing process.

However, finding the right railcar owner for a specific need can still be challenging. There are different types of railcars, such as boxcar, gondola, hopper, and tank cars, each with its own use, dimension, and availability. Additionally, railcar owners may have different terms and conditions for leasing their equipment, such as minimum lease periods, inspection and maintenance requirements, and insurance requirements. In general, working with railcar owners can be relatively straightforward, especially if the shipper has a clear understanding of their needs and the leasing process. However, it can be helpful to work with an experienced transportation or logistics provider to ensure that the railcars are properly inspected, maintained, and in compliance with safety regulations.

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WASCOSA LAUNCHES

BARELY eight months ago, Swiss-based lessor Wascosa revealed a growing consensus that a more agile, economic and productive alternative to the traditional single purpose dedicated wagon is needed and this new departure is what the flex freight system, developed by Wascosa, Europe’s largest independent wagon leasing company, with its fleet of 16000 wagons, is all about.

As its name suggests, Wascosa flex freight system is a modular concept which allows flexible utilisation of a container flat wagon with a variety of superstructures that can be mounted

another type of superstructure e.g. the flex freight system® E-type swap body, which is a modular box with four double doors and a steel floor.

Other modular superstructures also exist for transporting vehicles as well as automotive parts and the Wascosa flex freight system is also compatible with most types of ISO containers and tank containers.

The superstructure configuration possibilities are virtually endless, subject to any design conforming to ISO standards, to maintain rail gauge integrity.

on top according to the type of product to be transported, increasing the flexibility of the use of the base rail wagon, increasing its productive use and thus reducing its operating cost.

For example, with its fold-away and full stackable stanchion cassettes, the system can be deployed for the transportation of timber or pipes but can be quickly converted to carry wood chippings, scrap metal, steel products or waste paper using

Several hundred of these modular freight wagons are now in service across the continent, notably with German chemical giant, BASF, but also with the Swiss based infrastructure company SERSA. Network Rail will take delivery of 260 flex freight system® wagons in the 12 months from November last year, already with further superstructure options under consideration.

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FLEX FREIGHT SYSTEM

The obvious advantage over traditional dedicated wagons is that more types of cargo can be transported using fewer wagons which in turn can achieve more loaded journeys during

traditional rail wagons.

The Wascosa flex freight system is also more productive because of its suitability to seasonal and cyclical fluctuations

their operating life cycle, ultimately meaning a more efficient utilisation of the wagon fleet as well as a lower investment risk.

By virtue of its adaptability the Wascosa flex freight system also opens up the possibility of transporting two different types of cargo back and forth on a given route thus avoiding unproductive empty running which is a major cost factor in dedicated trainload configurations.

Also, because of the intermodal capability of superstructures such as open boxes and ISO containers, this flex freight system can serve non-rail connected, inner-city destinations, without the need for time consuming and problematic transhipment operations that would be required in the case of

and also offers a better cost to performance ratio in terms of repairs and servicing.

This is because the flex freight system has a higher standardization of critical components making it easier and faster to maintain which in turn means less downtime and lost revenue because if the modular superstructure is damaged in any way it can simply be replaced without the whole wagon having to go to a repair shop.

Finally, it is very easy and fast to change the superstructure module using a forklift / handler which minimises wagon downtime and eliminates the need for separate pools of single use wagons.

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TRANSWAGGON LEASES WAGONS

NORMALLY used for transporting industrial goods, last year wagons were turned into the stage for a theatre project: seven two-axle wagons that TRANSWAGGON had rented to the railway theatre “Das letzte Kleinod” (The Last Gem) for the period of the production of the play “Amerikalinie” (America Line).

The play “Amerikalinie” is set in the 1930s and 40s and tells the story of German emigrants to America who travelled by train from the interior to Bremerhaven. From there, the fortune

seekers embarked on their long journey to the USA on ocean liners, hoping to make their fortune there.

Since other TRANSWAGGON wagons had already proven themselves as acting venues for the 2017 production, the theatre makers of “Das letzte Kleinod” once again turned to the logistics service provider in search of an authentic stage for ‘Amerikalinie’.

The seven rented wagons once again served their purpose perfectly. Christine Büssow, sales-

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WAGONS TO RAILWAY THEATRE

woman at TRANSWAGGON and her colleague were able to witness this for themselves when they attended the performance in Uelzen.

She reports: “We were struck by the authentic, impressive performance in our wagons. Director and author Jens-Erwin Siemssen was pleased to welcome representatives of TRANSWAGGON on site. He invited us to an exciting tour of the 130 m long “Ozeanblauer Zug” (Ocean Blue Train), which serves as accommodation for the entire theatre crew while on tour and introduced us to

the ensemble members”.

The “Ozeanblauer Zug” set off from Stützenbach, Thuringia, where the première took place on August 15 2022. The artist group then toured along the original route of the emigrant line through various towns in north-eastern Germany and via several stations to Bremerhaven. There, the play was performed for the last time on October 30 2022 in the former second class waiting room of the historic Columbus railway station.

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IN response to the European Railway Agency’s (ERA) most recent call on wagon keepers for greater rail safety measures beyond visual kingpin checks on freight railcars, GATX Rail Europe has answered the challenge and added a new telematics and sensors driven solution to its portfolio.

Just weeks ago, we provided new T3000e railcars, fully equipped with novel kingpin sensors. From now on, all newly built GATX T3000e cars will be by default fitted with the sensor, while older car models will be scheduled for a retrofitting soon.

We recognised this demand as central to railway incident prevention and greater safety in more extreme situations, such as cold or stormy weather conditions. Thus, the GATX kingpin safety solution provides a two-contact sensor system that verifies whether a hitch device is correctly locked and kingpin positioned correctly. Information about proper loading is showcased on a display located on both sides of the railcar as well as virtually on any mobile device via Bluetooth connection.

Three Kingpin Sensor States for additional safety n There is no trailer on the wagon / or trailer is not correctly loaded: X displayed

n There is a trailer, correctly loaded: check mark displayed n There is a trailer loaded and unlocked for the unloading: upward pointing arrow displayed (indicating its ready for unloading). In this way, crane drivers don’t try to unload a trailer

T3000E RAILCARS INCREASE SAFETY

that is still locked to the wagon to prevent wagon lift that may lead to derailment.

Sensors save time as they can be paired with any mobile device geared to check the status of the correct loading of a wagon in real-time and not post-factum, thus avoiding the need for further corrections and delays. Additionally, data can be displayed on a web portal where customers can set up alerts when a wagon leaves a geo-fenced area with a “wrong” loading status. Hubert Gołębiewski, IT Manager for Digitalisation and Innovation at GATX Rail Europe, ensures "greater safety and higher customer satisfaction with our latest railcar feature.

"Already equipped with GPS sensors, a T3000e may carry two trailers at a time, thus exhibiting two hitches,” Hubert said. “Each hitch has a socket equipped with ATEX certified sensors. Data is displayed on two displays per hitch on each side of the railcar, offering a more thorough overview.

The sensor‘s readings are transferred to the hub-like GPS, allowing clients to remain conveniently connected via a Bluetooth. The solution can be easy adjusted or extended to individual needs and integrated with customer IT systems using standard interface ITSS. In all, provide a comprehensive, easily

accessible solution that adds a layer of safety to the current railcar kingpin visual inspections.”

Always open for improvement, GATX are currently collecting feedback on the operational usage for more enhancements of the sensor system, thus allowing for further automatisation in the future.

Why introduce kingpin locking sensors?

Reliable wagon kingpin locking was identified by the ERA’s task forces as a key issue of discussion and keenly examined in the Joint-Network Secretary’s (JNS) Task Force’s latest proposed measures on railway incident prevention.

Via its Normal Procedure, European Railway Agency, the JNS aims to harmonize and guide a EU-wide series of actions regarding railway safety. Within its different task forces and highly specialized panels, pressing issues are examined and possible solutions are often offered. GATX experts take part in these committees and, when it touches an area of our expertise, our teams come up with solutions to improve railcar safety.

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Automotive rebounds for Touax

DESPITE the ongoing situation in Ukraine and the consequent high inflation on components for railcars, in 2022 Touax Rail was able to achieve its daily objective to keep serving its clients by ensuring "a very satisfying" availability of wagons.

In a very dynamic market, this allowed us to strengthen furthermore our fleet’s utilisation rate and our company’s leasing revenue.

Touax Rail took advantage from the rebound of the automotive segment after a long weak market time: all existing Touax car-carrying wagons were rented in third quarter 2022 and further investments were made to match new strong demand of the same type of wagons.

Last year was marked by the full

delivery of new Laaers wagons, making Touax Rail the largest lessor in this segment. Touax's intermodal fleet has integrated new 6-axle wagons Sggmrss 90’ for container and swap bodies transportation in continental Europe.

Highly committed to deploy its fleet regularly, Touax Rail ordered extra wagons and will receive a large batch of new additional 6-axle wagons Sggrss 80’ from mid-2023 to meet market’s expectations.

Beside development in Europe, Touax ordered two additional rakes (complete trains) in India for our existing customers and expect to continue to grow steadily with another five rakes in the coming months.

As of January 1 2023, the UK's

Department for Transport does not recognise the ECM certificates provided by EU certification bodies for UK domestic traffic.

Informed in July 2022, Touax Rail, and three other non-domiciled ECM operating in the UK, representing 15% of UK freight traffic, had a very short notice to get the certification by appropriate UK accredited certification bodies.

The Technical Department efficiently organised the ECM audit by TÜV Rheinland UK on November 15 and 16 at the company's office in Paris.

The week after, with the audit of three of our maintenance suppliers in the UK, Touax Rail got the final certification.

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VTG launches Rail

VTG Rail Logistics has stepped up its presence in the Baltics. With effect from January 1 2023, what used to be VTG Project Logistics has shifted its focus and is now offering a complete portfolio of VTG solutions under the name VTG Rail Logistics Baltics UAB. The new company’s operating business has been entrusted to Violeta Vlasoviene, Managing Director VTG Rail Logistics Baltics.

VTG Rail Logistics Baltics is a full-service rail forwarder with advanced tailor-made solutions and an international reach. Integrating this new facility in its existing pan-European network enables VTG to optimize and harmonize its national and cross-border leasing and rail logistics activities in the Baltic region.

Lithuania also plays an important role in transit traffic bound for Scandinavia and the adjacent northern regions, opening up further attractive prospects for VTG – alongside access to the Baltic Sea region via the port cities of Klaipeda, Riga and Tallin (Muuga). VTG Rail Logistics Baltics is actively positioning itself with a 360-degree solution portfolio, offering a comprehensive range of products and services including sufficient equipment to tap the vast potential for multimodal traffic that exists in this market.

“VTG boasts exceptional expertise in rail transport and multimodal logistics, offering a full spectrum of services across the entire transport chain,” says Paweł Solich, Head of Region North-East at VTG Rail Europe. “Our r2L solution (‘roadrailLink’) increases the proportion of craneable semitrailers from five to 95 percent. Even trailers carrying refrigerated goods, liquids and fuels can make use of this innovation.” Violeta Vlasoviene agrees: “The ongoing Rail Baltica corridor project will connect five EU countries – Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and, indirectly, Finland. This will provide VTG with exciting new market opportunities,” she says. “Having our own office on the ground is going to help us respond even better to the needs of our customers in this highly promising market environment.”

Logistics company

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Longwood Group exits GBXL railcar leasing joint venture

GBXL will remain in operation as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Greenbrier

THE Longwood Group, a Chicago-based asset management and advisory services firm, has sold of its interest in its railcar leasing joint venture, GBX Leasing, a partnership with The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. GBXL will remain in operation as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Greenbrier, a leading international supplier of equipment and services to global freight transportation markets.

Formed in February 2021, GBXL was established to complement Greenbrier's integrated business model of railcar manufacturing and services through the extension of their commercial platform and the further development of a leased-railcar strategy. As part of the joint venture, Longwood provided strategic investment guidance and market assistance – including identifying secondary market transactions, lease pricing strategy and asset management oversight, as well as developed GBX Leasing's initial capital structure. Together, Greenbrier and Longwood grew the portfolio to over 4,500 leased railcars from both newly-originated railcar leases and a secondary market acquisition.

"We are extremely pleased with the success of GBX Leasing within its first years of operation," said D. Stephen Menzies, Longwood's Chief Executive Officer, and outgoing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GBX Leasing.

"GBXL more than doubled the expected investment volume as we capitalised on favorable market opportunities. Additionally, the rail portfolio was well-positioned to benefit from lease rate inflation and asset appreciation. We enjoyed working with the Greenbrier Leadership Team as they continued to develop their leasing strategy. The GBXL platform not only bolsters the value-proposition for Greenbrier's rail customers going forward but also created tremendous value for Greenbrier shareholders and Longwood's investors in its first two years."

Since its inception in early 2021, GBXL has delivered sta-

ble and tax-advantaged cash flows designed in part to complement the more cyclical revenues derived from Greenbrier's new railcar manufacturing. In turn, GBXL's leased railcar portfolio led to its first-ever issuance of railcar asset-backed securities (ABS) in February 2022. Driven by high investor interest, the ABS notes were fully subscribed at issuance at a blended interest rate of 2.9%.

Greenbrier CEO and President Lorie Tekorius stated: "Greenbrier has enjoyed a productive and beneficial relationship with Longwood in the development of our leasing business. I would like to thank Longwood and its CEO, D. Stephen Menzies, for offering strategic investment guidance and market assistance during GBXL's nearly two years of operations. The formation of GBXL has plainly and demonstrably expanded Greenbrier's value proposition for its customers and shareholders."

LEASING

GATX RAIL EUROPE EARNS SECOND ECOVADIS SILVER MEDAL

FOR the second year in a row, GATX Rail Europe achieved EcoVadis’ prestigious business sustainability silver rating. "In 2021, we set the bar high after being evaluated on various corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability areas.

"To remain a top choice for customers, the lessor's "latest successes and commitments were carefully assembled and examined by a team of experienced subject matter experts across the organisation," said the company

EcoVadis benchmarked our results with widely recognised methodologies, all meticulously aligned with accepted international standards.

This year, our teams dug deeper into our organization to demonstrate that we have not only the necessary policies in place but have also taken the appropriate actions to enforce these programs and measure results with essential key performance indicators (KPIs).

This improved performance is proof that GATX Rail Europe is relentless in its sustainability journey, notes the company. It stays solid on our commitment. That is why, besides introducing new policies, it is seeking to further integrate sustainability measures into key areas of the business while showcasing greater transparency and progress.

Exceeding past performance is a worthy challenge that it has proudly accepted and achieved this year.

With a continuous improvement mindset, GATX Europe is energised to continue pushing forward. It is already moving forward with a new set of goals for 2023. And as it raises the bar, so does EcoVadis.

Thoa Bùi, GATX Rail Europe, Business Process and Organisational

“We are excited to begin planning our next steps, as sustainability is a very important topic to us."

Development Expert,

confirmed:

Siemens Mobility awarded

full service maintenance IN A COUNTRY

largest locomotive order in company historY: Siemens provide 35

SIEMENS Mobility has received an order for 1,200 locomotives of 9,000 horsepower (HP) from Indian Railways, marking the single largest locomotive order in the history of Siemens Mobility and single largest order in the history of Siemens India. Siemens Mobility will design, manufacture, commission and test the locomotives. Deliveries are planned over an eleven-year period, and the contract includes 35 years of full service maintenance.

The locomotives will be assembled in the Indian Railways factory in Dahod, in the state of Gujarat, India. Maintenance will be performed in four Indian Railways depots located in Vishakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur and Pune.

Locomotive assembly and maintenance will be implemented together with the staff of Indian Railways. The contract has a total value of approximately €3 billion, excluding taxes and price variation.

"Siemens is supporting the sustainable transfor-

mation of India’s transportation sector as the country seeks to almost double freight capacity on its railways," said Siemens CEO Roland Busch. "I’m proud that this major order will help India achieve its ambitious goal of creating the world’s largest green rail network, as our locomotives will save more than 800 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over their lifecycle."

Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, added: “We are delighted to partner with Indian Railways and deliver one of the most powerful electric locomotives available. These new locomotives will help increase freight transport on one of the world's largest rail networks, as they can replace between 500,000 to 800,000 trucks over their lifecycle. This historic order cements a firm commitment from Indian Railways to achieve 100% electrification of rail traffic in India. Our partnership will further strengthen Siemens Mobility’s position in India and support the country’s expanding railway market."

years of

awarded €3 billion project in India

The state-of-the-art locomotives will be used for freight transport throughout the Indian Railways network and are specified to haul loads of 4500 tonnes at a maximum speed of 120 km per hour. Producing 9000 HP, they will be one of the most powerful freight locomotives in the world.

They will be equipped with advanced propulsion systems that are also produced locally in Siemens Mobility factories in India. Siemens Mobility will use the power of its Railigent platform to deliver highest availability and performance.

an almost fully electrified rail network. As one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for rail, India has clear sustainability and technology goals.

Indian Railways and the Indian Government are clearly committed to invest in state-of-the-art products to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2030. The 9000 HP project stands testimony to this.

As technology leader, Siemens Mobility is firmly committed to deliver world-class solutions to help transform rail in India.

Almost fully electrified India has one of the world’s largest rail transport and logistics networks. Additionally, the Government of India plans to increase the share of railways for freight transport to 40-45% from the current approximately 27%. India is one of the few countries in the world with

The history of Siemens in India dates back to 1867. Founder Werner von Siemens and his brothers built the Indo-European telegraph line from London to Calcutta, now Kolkata. Siemens has been supporting Indian Railways with the latest technologies over many decades and offers a full range of intelligent and efficient technologies and solutions for passenger and freight transportation, including rail infrastructure and rolling stock.

Mobility to deliver 1200 electric locomotives and COUNTRY with an almost fully electrified rail network

NETWORK RAIL AND VARAMIS RAIL LAUNCHES NEW ZERO CARBON FREIGHT SERVICE

NETWORK Rail and Varamis Rail, the UK’s newest train operator, have worked together to launch an innovative, zero carbon freight service.

The service, which launched last week, will run between Scotland and the Midlands, Monday to Friday. Targeted at express parcels and third-party delivery companies, it will primarily deal with next day delivery of consumer goods.

Industry partners, Eversholt Rail, have converted a number of fully electric 4-car trains formerly used in passenger service to enable them to carry freight while Network Rail provided the necessary operating licenses, contracts, and train paths for the service to operate. This

followed trial operations of the service, which commenced in October 2022, to test the robustness and practicality of the service, and enabled logistics companies to test the service..

Innovative new service

Georgie Newby, Network Rail’s Senior Commercial and Customer Relationship Manager, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support the launch of this innovative new service from the latest Freight Operating Company to join the network. It is the result of hard work and dedication across multiple organisations,

all working closely zero carbon service use. We look forward vations to keep logistics transported Varamis Rail added: “As the Varamis Rail is able benefits that UK economy along crease in online over recent years to find a more environmentally to moving our parcels, around the UK;

closely together to deliver a great, service for logistics companies to forward to delivering other innogrowing the amount of parcel transported by rail.”

Managing Director, Phil Read, UK's newest train operator, keen to promote the sustainthat the railway has to offer to the along with Network Rail. The inshopping and home deliveries years has accelerated the demand environmentally friendly solution parcels, products, or light goods one solution is the electrified

rail network.

“Varamis Rail is incredibly appreciative of the support it has received from Network Rail to enable a start-up of its operations and we look forward to building on this relationship as the rail industry looks to play its part in decarbonising’ the UK.”

The new service, which launched on the 09 January, is fully electric, supports Network Rail and the rest of the rail industry, as an environmentally friendly alternative to road haulage. It gives access to urban rail stations located within the heart of city centres and is expected to benefit the rail industry in the future as an example of best practice.

GOTTFRIED EYMER NOW IN CHARGE AT ETIHAD RAIL

EYMER will be taking over the CEO position at Etihad Rail Freight as of February 1 2023.

Having held for many years similar positions in Europe, he is looking forward to changing continents and exchanging ideas.

Together with his future colleagues at Etihad Rail Freight he will continue driving the sustainable shift of transport from road to rail in the Emirates while growing the company further. www.freight-tracks.com

RAIL BYPASS IN MINNESOTA COMMUNITY AND RAILROAD'

“AND now I can retire," Randy Anderson, a BNSF locomotive engineer based in Sioux City, Iowa, said recently. “For years I have said that as soon as the bypass is complete,

triangle of railroad track used for turning locomotives or trains -- are collectively referred to as the Willmar Bypass. Now that these have been built, trains no longer have to enter Willmar and stop

I'm hanging up my boots. The new bypass allows train crews to keep on moving through this area. It's a really good thing and will continue to benefit the railroad and community for years to come."

After years of work to secure the land and get the permitting and funding needed to build a new rail bypass near Willmar, Minnesota, the team recently celebrated completion of this important project for BNSF and our customers.

The 2.8 miles (4 km) of new track and wye – a

at the terminal in the middle of town to change directions to go to and from our Morris and Marshall subdivisions. They can now bypass the terminal on the new track that connects them.

“Besides the numerous safety benefits, the bypass also allows trains to move through this area about an hour faster than they used to," Grant Haag, general manager of BNSF’s Twin Cities Division, said. “This will be especially beneficial during grain harvest when we see a sub-

MINNESOTA 'GOOD FOR CUSTOMERS, RAILROAD'

stantial number of grain trains moving through the Willmar terminal."

And, when trains don't have to reposition at Willmar in the winter, it's a huge benefit for getting trains where they need to go because they will be able to “maintain their air,” meaning the air in the air brakes, which can be slow to pump back up in cold conditions.

Area residents will benefit as well. The bypass will reduce rail traffic congestion in Willmar, and that will result in fewer blocked crossings.

“The success of this project was made possible by a public private partnership between the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Kandiyohi County, the City of Willmar, the Economic Development Commission of Kandiyohi County and the City of Willmar, and BNSF -- with the help of a US Department of Transportation TIGER grant,” French Thompson, general director, Pub-

lic Investment, said. “BNSF hopes to replicate this success with other communities across our system through our Public Infrastructure team.”

To complete the project, BNSF’s Engineering Services team collaborated with community members and several local, state and federal entities to design a track and roadway system that benefited all. Completion of the bypass required realignment of a major highway as well as construction of two overpasses.

The Engineering team used a plan that brought in regional mobile gang employees to work alongside our local Willmar-based team to build the new track and signals system for the wye.

So, when exactly is Anderson hanging up his boots? “It'll be sometime right after the first of next year," he said. “Until then, I'll be enjoying the new bypass."

Officials attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the bypass project. Front row from left to right, U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischback, Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, Kandiyohi County Public Works Director Mel Odens, and BNSF General Director Public Investment French Thompson.

Freak accident sees 300-tonne substation cargo topple

A HEAVY transformer being moved on a Schnabel car through Slovenia to Finland, shifted and toppled off the monster car as the train it was being hauled in was passing Zidane Mist station.

One person, a crew member, was reported to have been injured when they fell 10 m into the adjoining water near the confluence of the Sava and Savinja Rivers.

Early reports stated the train was speeding through the small station. The same reports stated

the wagon had derailed yet photos captured by local media show the wheelsets remained on the track. In fact, the images show the cargo, a 300-tonne electrical substation, had shifted and toppled off the wagon bed. Material damage was reported as being very extensive.

It is reported that some 500 litres of liquid poured out of the wagon on the track, which was leaking slightly throughout the accident. According to Slovenian Railways, the securing of the accident site was

300-tonne electrical topple off schnabel car

carried out by an external contractor.

Questions as to how the load can be retrieved have been raised as this is an area where there is little room for manoeuvre - both because of the river and because of the overhead power lines.

The transformer may be broken up on site.

Rail traffic in Zidane Most was completely blocked for about three hours and from the early hours of the morning it was running on a single track before normal service was restored.

THIRST-QUENCHING

ANHEUSER-BUSCH has partnered with Union Pacific and Doll Distributing, one of the largest beverage distributors in the Midwest, to transport product from its breweries in Colorado and Missouri to wholesalers across the country.

“Union Pacific is excited to be partnering with Anheuser-Busch to provide an efficient and economical way to transport their products on rail,” said Bess Jones, Senior Manager – Marketing and Sales for Union Pacific. “Our shipping capabilities are second-to-none and we look forward to building on this partnership in the years to come.”

The iconic brewer invested millions of dollars to purchase 240 new insulated rail cars to ensure the quality of the company’s products would not be compromised during transport. The top-of-the-line cars, which can be used yearround, are equipped with GPS, temperature monitoring and other technology. In addition, Doll Distributing worked with the Freight Council and Union Pacific to get its track and new facilities up to code.

Union Pacific’s Network and Industrial Development and the railroad’s Customer Service teams helped oversee the process.

Union Pacific offers more flexibility and capabilities giving Anheuser-Busch the ability to control when and how many cars are brought to the breweries, maximizing loading capabilities. In addition, the technology on the rail cars will allow the warehouses to track the shipments and plan their work accordingly.

Union Pacific’s shipping provides long-term costs saving as well as significant sustainability benefits, transitioning more than 3500 over-the-road loads onto the rail network.

Along with the shipments going to Doll Distributing in Iowa, Anheuser-Busch will also increase shipments from breweries in St Louis, Missouri, and Fort Collins, Colorado, to Portland, Oregon, and the Twin Cities in Minnesota. During

Back in the 1880s, Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus Busch pioneered the pany’s product. More than 140 years later, the brewery is returning to Union Pacific Railroad.

THIRST-QUENCHING RAIL TRANSPORT

the first year alone, Jones estimates more than 2000 carloads will be transported on Union Pacific’s system, and over time, that number will grow.

“It’s Union Pacific’s goal as a company to collaborate with customers and find ways to support them as they continue to grow,” Jones said. “This partnership is a great example of how converting over-the-road to rail is a big win for both companies.”

the use of refrigerated rail cars to transport the comits rail roots in a big way in 2023, with the help of

Anheuser-Busch was one of the first companies to transport beer throughtout the United States using railroad refrigerator cars.

IOWA STATE ACQUIRES INDUSTRIAL CAMPUS PARCEL FOR TRANSLOAD FACILITY

IOWA Interstate Railroad, LLC (IAIS) has purchased approximately 30 acres (12 ha) at Iowa City’s Industrial Campus to develop a new rail to truck transloading facility. The site, located on the southeast side of Iowa City and including an existing rail spur, connects to the 573-mile (922-km) IAIS network, providing shippers with direct access to all 7 Class-I Railroads and numerous short line railroads. The site is conveniently located to I-80, US 6, and US 218.

Transloading of commodities between transportation modes is a growing segment of the national supply chain; IAIS is proud to provide another option in the Iowa City / Cedar Rapids corridor to shippers lacking direct access to rail service. Shippers can utilize this additional optionality to leverage multiple modes and connecting rail gateways to drive value to the end user.

“As part of our continuing growth strategy, Iowa Interstate Railroad is excited to have successfully acquired this

parcel from our friends and neighbours at the City of Iowa City for the development of this new transloading facility. As we have seen with the numerous other transloading sites existing along our network, these facilities provide significant value to our customers and open the door for many other companies to become rail shippers,” said Joe Parsons, IAIS President and CEO.

Rail transportation is the most fuel-efficient way to move freight over land. The City, by partnering with IAIS to develop this facility, recognises this increased fuel-efficiency both reduces shippers’ long haul freight costs and provides public environmental benefits.

According to the EPA, moving freight by rail versus truck lowers greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%. In 2021, IAIS joined the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership, demonstrating its strong environmental leadership and corporate responsibility.

Volvic pours onto rail to remove 1500 tonnes of CO2

THE Danone group has shifted transport of itss Volvic brand (SAS Société des Eaux de Volvic) to Rail Logistic Europe with SNCF freight to remove 2000 truck shipments annually and save 1500 tonnes of CO2 for the planet.

Groups of 10 wagons will depart two-times a week with pallets of mineral water and mineral water drinks previously transported by road on board.

This proves the strong desire of the Danone group and Volvic to decarbonise its logistics by making this modal shift contract between Auvergne and Hauts de France, the result of 12 months of work between the SNCF freight teams and

its specific PRM service (prospecting and modal shift) and Danone's logistics service.

A major success in a difficult economic context that proves once again that Rail Logistic Europe companies are major players in a greener transport that supports companies in their modal shift projects.

Danone and Volvic acknowledges its primary logistic procurement manager Simon Peres and its Head of logistics Jean Du Penhoat for their involvement, their strong and constant patience in the success of this innovative project. The first of a long series of trains left on January 12 from the Volvic plant.

Iarnród Éireann awards Sisk contract for phase 1 Foynes line works

IARNRÓD Éireann has awarded leading Irish builder and contractor John Sisk and Son the contract for the first phase of works to reinstate the Limerick to Foynes rail line for freight services, with mobilisation and physical works set to commence in early February.

The project for phase 1 of the works has been funded by the Department of Transport, and will focus on track and track bed works, vegetation clearance, fencing and works at bridges, level crossings and public road crossings.

The 42km (26-mile) railway line between Limer-

WORKS being undertaken by John Sisk and Son as part of the €65 million contract for phase one of this project include:

n Vegetation clearance and removal of existing track.

n Replacement of track formation and installation of a new ballast bed to current Iarnród Éireann standards.

n Rehabilitation and / or renewal of bridges and culverts.

n Installation of new rail and concrete sleepers along the entire route.

n Renewal of road infrastructure at public road level crossings.

n Renewal of accommodation level crossings.

n Renewal of lineside fencing.

n Installation of infrastructure to accommodate the next phase of the project.

ick and Foynes originally opened in 1858 but closed to passenger traffic in 1963. Freight services continued until 2001.

The line’s reinstatement is a key element of Iarnród Éireann’s Rail Freight 2040 Strategy to dramatically increase the levels of freight on Ireland’s rail network.

Works being undertaken by John Sisk and Son as part of the €65 million contract for phase one of this project include:

With vegetation clearance already underway, the major physical works will begin next month (February 2023) and will be complete by late 2024.

Phase two of the project will include provision of a signalling system for the route, CCTV level crossings, train communications system and track connections and upgrades at Limerick and in Foynes Yard. Subject to funding allocation for phase 2, it is anticipated that the route will open for freight services in 2025.

Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Jim Meade said “there is real momentum behind the Foynes line

re-instatement project. With exchequer funding having been confirmed in November, we are delighted to be able to announce the contract award to Sisk just weeks later. In partnership, we look forward to bringing this critical, sustainable infrastructure to fruition, as we contribute to the decarbonisation goals for transport in Ireland.

Vital rail infrastructure

Commenting on the project Paul Brown, CEO of John Sisk & Son said: “We are delighted to be delivering more vital rail infrastructure as part of the ongoing investment by Iarnród Éireann in the network, reconnecting the 42km (27 mile) stretch of railway

between Limerick and Foynes which has been out of use since freight service stopped in 2001.

“At Sisk we are active across our business in delivering sustainable infrastructure and this line, initially being brought back into service for freight, is part of Iarnród Éireann’s Rail Freight 2040 Strategy, and the recently launched strategic review of the Shannon Foynes Port Company Masterplan, Vision 2041.

“It will bring back the connection between rail and ship services and promote sustainable transport by strengthening freight transport via rail and sea. We look forward to delivering this project in partnership with Iarnród Éireann and our supply chain partners.”

PATRIOT RAIL COMPLETES DELTA SOUTHERN RAILROAD

PATRIOT Rail Company, the United States's third-largest short line holding company, has completed the acquisition of Delta Southern Railroad, Inc. (DSRR), a short line railroad operating two line segments in Louisiana. The transaction closed following regulatory authorisation.

DSRR operates over 40 miles (64 km) of track between the two lines and serves two port facilities – Lake Providence Port and Madison Parish Port –located on the Mississippi River. DSRR interchanges with Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific Railroad.

DSRR is well situated in a strong chemical and

petrochemicals corridor, with a customer base comprising several large-scale chemical manufacturers as well as forest industry shippers. DSRR’s lines are located on the Kansas City Southern “Meridian Speedway” and Louisiana Highway 20.

The acquisition of DSRR aligns with Patriot Rail’s continuing growth emphasis to support rail customers across the US.

Patriot’s portfolio

The inclusion of DSRR in Patriot’s portfolio will bring the company’s operations to a total of 32 railroads,

COMPLETES ACQUIRES RAILROAD

with a Patriot Rail presence across 23 US states. DSRR will enhance Patriot’s Louisiana footprint along with Patriot-owned Louisiana and North West Railroad (LNW), which is headquartered in Homer, Louisiana, and provides rail service from Gibsland, Louisiana, to McNeil, Arkansas.

“Including Delta Southern in Patriot Rail’s growing network will enable further competitive options for rail shippers in Louisiana and across the country,” said John E. Fenton, Patriot Rail’s Chief Executive Officer.

“This strategic acquisition builds on Patriot Rail’s continuing expansion and exemplifies our growth focus on quality rail assets to meet customer needs.

"We look forward to serving and working with rail customers on the DSRR to enhance freight traffic.”

Patriot Rail operates some 32 regional and freight short line railroads, a scenic rail excursion train and rail-related services companies with a presence in 23 US states.

Service capabilities include railcar storage, contract switching, transloading, railcar cleaning, engineering services, excursion railroads, real estate and track access. Patriot Rail is also a direct partner in providing railcar repair and maintenance, railcar dismantling, and environmental services including centralised wastewater treatment.

new service to move 400,000 tonnes of petrochemicals each year

MONDAY, January 2 2023 marked the launch of the new shuttle between Le Havre and Creutzwald operated by Captrain France and Fret SNCF on behalf of TotalEnergies. With 250 rotations per year planned, this new traffic will

make it possible to transport more than 400,000 tonnes of petrochemicals each year,.These will mainly be for uses in the cosmetics, medicine and pharmaceuticals, food and plastics industries.

Trinity Industries acquires Holden America

TRINITY Industries has acquired Holden America for an initial purchase price of $70 million with an additional minimum of $5 million per year for the next two years. This acquisition of Holden, a manufacturer of market-leading multi-level vehicle securement and protection systems, gravity-outlet gates, and gate accessories for freight rail in North America, provides Trinity a market-leading bi-level chock system. Along with Trinity’s existing tri-level chock system, this acquisition strengthens Trinity’s position as the leading manufacturer of autoracks in North America and allows the company to take advantage of an improving automobile end market.

“This acquisition fits well into our strategy to increase exposure to less cyclical and higher margin aftermarket parts, giving us more opportunities to serve our customers and diversify our revenue stream,” said Jean Savage, Trinity’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Furthermore, as we see automobile preference move more toward SUVs and heavier electric vehicles, securement systems will become even more critical, and we look forward to being a market-leading chock provider and continuing to provide the quality and service that Holden’s customers have come to expect.”

The acquisition closed on December 30 2022 and is not expected to be material to Trinity’s results. Trinity will retain all of the employees of Holden as part of the transaction.

Fox Group reopen Leyland Railhead

AGGREGATES forwarder Fox Group began its expansion into rail, with the opening of a railhead at Leyland, Lancashire in northern England. The railhead sidings, which were built in 1953, were relaid in 2018 and utilised by Network Rail for storage during the Blackpool electrification scheme.

The takeover and opening of the railhead by Fox Group has been in the works for over two years, with the teams working closely with Lancashire County Council to get the railhead back to its intended purposes.

Monday January 9 saw the first train utilise the newly opened railhead, arriving from Tunstead at 22:42, loaded with aggregates. The Freightliner train held 1800 tonnes of material, the equivalent of 95 x 8 wheeler loads. The material will now be distributed out to customers via the group's wagons.

The railhead allows the group to further enhance their sustainability initiatives. Fox Group made headlines in June of 2022 when they welcomed the UK’s first Electric tipper wagons; two Volvo FE Electric 6×2 tippers, are based out of the groups Leyland depot.

The train, Freightliner 6N42 19:02 Tunstead-Leyland, was routed through Chinley and New Mills on what was part of the old Manchester Midland Main Line between Manchester and London. It then passed through Altrincham before joining the West Coast Main Line just south of Warrington and heading north through Warrington and Wigan before arriving at Leyland.

The railhead sidings were built in 1953, specifically to manufacture the Centurion Tank at the outbreak of the Korean War, managed by the Ministry of Supply.

The sidings were then taken over by Leyland Motors in 1956, superseded by British Leyland, who used the sidings until 1986, bringing in car and bus parts for the factories on the business park. The siding then remained in use bringing in various parts up until around 1997.

Rail freight’s digital just around the bend

telematics sensors. Application-layer developers will be able to tap into RailPulse’s data lake to provide shippers, railcar owners, and railroad operators with real-time visibility and insights to optimise their operations. Data-driven applications will augment the existing efficiency, sustainability, and safety benefits of rail shipping.

But realising the full potential of telematics will require participation from across the industry. Shippers should explore the economic benefits of rail transport enhanced by data-driven visibility and insights. Railcar owners, railroads, hardware vendors, and application developers should collaborate to implement rail’s digital enhancements and create value. And all stakeholders can take steps to communicate the carbon-reduction benefits of shifting freight volumes from trucking to rail.

“This acquisition fits well into our strategy to increase exposure to less cyclical and higher margin aftermarket parts, giving us more opportunities to serve our customers and diversify our revenue stream,” said Jean Savage, Trinity’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Furthermore, as we see automobile preference move more toward SUVs and heavier electric vehicles, securement systems will become even more critical, and we look forward to being a market-leading chock provider and continuing to provide the quality and service that Holden’s customers have come to expect.”

DIGITAL transformation is poised to promote a new era of growth in North American rail freight transport. The adoption of advanced tracking devices—known as telematics—has the potential to produce vast amounts of data on railcar location, condition, and health. Applying this data to improve the customer experience will help the rail industry grow its freight volumes after a decade-long decline in market share.

Leading industry stakeholders have formed a coalition, called RailPulse, to provide the shared infrastructure needed to capture, disseminate, and analyse data from

The acquisition closed on December 30 2022 and is not expected to be material to Trinity’s results. Trinity will retain all of the employees of Holden as part of the transaction.

Freight rail Is losing market share, despite advantages

The rail industry’s struggles to maintain service levels as the US emerges from the pandemic have only aggravated the challenges that have suppressed its share of the landfreight market over the past decade or so. From 2011

digital future is bend

By David Schaar, Andrey Timofeev, Pallavi Kansal, Luke H. Young and Grant Zeller

through 2020, rail transport’s share of that market shrank from 51% to 37%, mainly owing to a sharp decline in coal shipments. In that same decade, truck transport’s market share grew from 49% to 63%.

This trend underscores a more basic problem: many shippers view rail as simply too hard to use compared with trucking. A key advantage of truck transport is the ability to provide end-to-end shipping, limiting the need to coordinate first and last-mile handoffs.The trucking industry has increased this advantage by adopting untethered GPS tracking technology for trailers and containers, giving shippers real-time visibility into the location of shipments.

To close the performance gap and promote volume growth, the rail industry will need to relieve pain points experienced by participants across the value chain.

Shippers. In an age of nonstop, digitally enabled interconnectedness, rail transport often remains an analog experience for shippers. Supply chain managers may have limited, if any, visibility of the geographic location of

their materials. The problem lies, to some extent, with the shortcomings of the Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) tracking infrastructure used by North American railroads. There is considerable variation in the spacing of AEI readers across lines and regions. In some areas, the distance between readers is 50 miles (80 km) or less, while in others they are hundreds of miles apart. Moreover, the system does not provide real-time location status—when railcars pass a reader, several hours elapse before updates appear in the system. Some areas lack tracking infrastructure altogether. At interchange points, particularly when cargo is moving from main lines to short lines, shippers typically lose the ability to track location.

The challenges arising from antiquated technology and fragmented data sources mean that supply chain managers must rely on estimated times of arrival (ETAs) based on data that is hours, or perhaps days, old. This makes it hard for supply chain managers to optimally coordinate last-mile logistics, which in turn undermines other efforts

to achieve operational efficiency—such as scheduling production shifts according to when incoming raw materials are expected to arrive.

Railroads and Terminal Operators. Railyards and terminals are chokepoints in the rail network because managers lack real-time visibility of their inbound pipeline. This prevents them from using advanced planning to gain efficiency. Moreover, modal transitions are inherently unwieldy to manage—myriad shipments arrive from multiple directions and might be outbound via a truck, ship, or another train. The sheer complexity drives a significant gap in reliability. The planned movements of railcars might be delayed or eventually postponed, leaving them unprocessed in the yard overnight or perhaps for days, depending on several factors including frequency of service. Shippers know that railcars with their freight are heading towards them, but are unclear on how many will arrive and on what day.

Railcar Owners. Railcar owners—whether shippers, railcar lessors, railcar pool operators, or railroads—find it difficult to manage their fleets. Limited data on railcar utilization, location, and availability prevent greater precision in forward-looking fleet management. To absorb

variances without sacrificing operations, owners must maintain significant slack capacity. And despite trackside infrastructure intended to sense potential maintenance issues, such problems can go unnoticed until they fully manifest, leading to unplanned downtime and costlier repairs. Even worse, potentially dangerous car conditions—such as excess pressure or temperature—may go undetected until accidents happen.

These pain points undermine what could otherwise be a desirable mode of freight transport. In fact, rail transport has several advantages that make it well suited to helping shippers meet the challenges of today’s economy: Efficiency. With extensive networks and trains that can carry the equivalent of hundreds of tractor-trailers, railroads can transport vast quantities of materials and products efficiently and economically. The significant cost savings give shippers opportunities to reduce the margin pressure caused by rising commodity prices and inflation. Depending on distance, payload, and cargo, the cost of rail transport can be 20% to 40% less than truck transport, according to the Journal of Commerce.

Sustainability. The carbon footprint of rail shipments is 75% lower than that of truck shipments, according to

academic and industry studies. 1

Safety. Compared with trucking, freight rail transport is safer for society. Studies by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute have found that rail-related fatalities are almost five times lower per ton-mile transported, while the injury rate is twelve times lower.

In addition, rail transport’s lower pollution rates make it better for public health.

Shifting freight volumes from trucking to rail could also benefit society by reducing road congestion and wear and tear on highway infrastructure—thereby decreasing government spending on maintenance.

Opportunities: Transparency and OptimiSation

The rail industry is on the verge of a digital revolution that has the potential to fundamentally transform rail freight

transport through unprecedented data-driven transparency and optimisation. In doing so, it can solve the pain points that have impeded growth and enable more shippers to capture the advantages of rail transport. The revolution begins with tracking technology. The technology required to implement telematics tracking devices for railcars is either available today or being tested in advanced pilot programs. These devices will soon be widely deployed to transmit critical data on railcar location, condition, and health to shippers, railroad operators, and railcar owners.

BCG prepared this publication in collaboration with TrinityRail. The authors thank the company’s leaders for contributing insights into the rail industry and telematics technology, facilitating discussions with their customers and the leaders of the RailPulse coalition, and providing data for analysis.

Wimmer's collection spans more than 10,000 railroadiana artifacts with a special focus on railroad engineering memorabilia.

R. J. Corman Railroad Group Helps

Preserve Unique Railroad Industry Artifacts

"Successfully reunited."

IN December 2022, the R. J. Corman Railroad Group had the privilege of finalising a substantial donation to assist in the movement of the Wimmer Railroad Collection to the Sarpy County Museum in Nebraska.

and Judy Wimmer comprises more than 10,000 unique pieces of railroad history with a special focus on railroad engineering memorabilia.

A rail freight laugh Tweeted by DB Cargo AG.

The private collection donated to the Sarpy County Museum by Bill

Photo: Copyright: DB/Patrick Kuschfeld

The Sarpy County Historical Society was founded in 1934 and is committed to protecting, preserving, and promoting Sarpy County’s rich histo-

ry through the Sarpy County Museum. It does this by hosting a variety of free programs, archiving local records, and assisting with genealogy research.

Wimmer’s passion for railroads led him to dedicate over 50 years to building one of the foremost private

collections of railroad artifacts in the United States. His extensive career in the railroad industry spanned over 50 years with Union Pacific Railroad and Chicago & Northwestern Railway.

He was also a valued member of R. J. Corman Railroad Group’s Board of Directors for ten years. In 2007 Mr. Wimmer was named Railway Age's Railroader of the Year, a prestigious honor given to the best leaders in the rail industry.

R. J. Corman Railroad Group’s substantial donation, along with others from around the industry, will help this private collection go public by assisting in the movement of the pieces to the museum. The collection will help educate the public about the impact of the railroad industry, its his-

tory, and its example of adaptability and innovation through the years.

"Thank you for R. J. Corman's

generosity towards supporting the project. We're excited about what the future holds for the museum and the new opportunities made possible by the Wimmer family's commitment to share their amazing collection. It is truly an amazing collection, and I am grateful for R. J. Corman's commitment to help preserve and ensure that the public can enjoy the more than 10,000 artifacts," said Sarpy County Museum Executive Director Ben Justman.

“The railroad industry has helped to shape the America we know today and remains an integral part of our future.

"We are honoured and excited to help preserve Bill Wimmer’s wonderful collection of railroad memorabilia and artifacts.

"He has been a stand-out leader throughout his career in the railroad and helped to shape the industry. His collection will help to educate and inspire future generations,” said R. J. Corman Railroad Group President and CEO Ed Quinn.

Louisiana Southern Receives $1.5M Grant

Development (LADOTD) announced November 30 that one of its two inaugural Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program grants would go to the LAS. Another $1.5 million was awarded to the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

The LAS, in northern Louisiana, is split into two sections joined by a 20-mile stretch that the KCS operates. The grant targets bridge repair, tie replacement, and track surfacing in key areas across the nearly 200 miles of both LAS sections.

Reduces freight on highways

General Manager Blake Smith described how the money is being put to work. “We’re going to do a lot of work on this line as a first step in modernizing the line to facilitate 286k (286,000-lb.) carloads. That’s going to be a huge benefit to our customers, who will be able to ship carloads at full capacity. That increases their efficiency and reduces freight on highways, saving taxpayers money in the long-run on highway infrastructure repairs.”

LAS Roadmaster Juddy Rogers and Division Engineer Brent Killion worked with Ailsa von Dobeneck, Watco assistant vice president for government relations, to gather information needed for the grant application.

“This is the first step in trying to improve our infrastructure for a more modern car weight standard of 286,000 pounds,” Rogers said. “Right now, Hodge North (Subdivision) is restricted to 263 (263,000-lb. railcars). It’s the first step in trying to go with more infrastructure upgrades to facilitate those heavier carloads.”

WATCO’S Louisiana Southern Railroad (LAS) has received a new grant of $1.5 million from the state of Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and

He said upgrades have already begun. “We have started some bridge repairs on the Hodge Sub. I’ve got a contractor out working on a bridge at 24.1 (milepost 24.1, near Bienville) currently doing some repairs to some steel H piles and replacing deck ties and bridge timbers.” Rogers said tie gangs and surfacing crews were also at work.

Pictured above from left: Dean Goodell, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) freight and passenger rail director; Ailsa von Dobeneck, Watco assistant vice president for government relations; Ronald Wendel, Jr., Port of New Orleans EVP and CFO; Renee Lapeyrolerie, LADOTD commissioner of multimodal commerce; and Tomeka Watson Bryant, New Orleans Public Belt Railroad general manager.

What’s in store for UK rail freight in 2023?

By Richard Bailey, Technical Director, BaileyRail & Logistics

AS 2023 begins there’s a buzz in the air for rail freight. It feels as though the industry is on the edge of an exciting decade where digitalisation and innovations will play a key role in propelling the industry forward.

Technological advances in recent years have made many things possible for rail freight and now is the time for the industry to seize these opportunities for greater growth.

Digitalisation is something that is taking place across the board and, not surprisingly, the rail freight industry is keen to pursue it. Internal operator systems, national systems and the role out of the European Train Control System (ETCS) and Traffic Management are a first of their kind in the UK and will allow for more a robust, reliable and safe service for rail freight customers.

Next year also looks set to see fleet fitment of in-cab ETCS. In fact, this autumn the first work began to install the latest version of ETCS to a UK freight locomotive which marked the beginning of fitment to freight vehicles across the country as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP).

After several years of design and planning’s DB Cargo UK’s Class 66 locomotive 66039 was delivered to the Electro-Motive Diesel’s engineering workshop in Doncaster for the technological transformation to take place. This is a significant milestone in the roll out of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) and is the blueprint for the roll-out to Class 66 locomotives during 2023 and beyond.

Also expect to see in 2023 business change plans and operational readiness to be progressed as the ECDP delivers Tranche 2, Operational Migration Overlay in 2024. This covers the first stretch of the mainline from Welwyn to Hitchin and requires thousands of drivers to be trained.

We all know that rail freight is cleaner than road, making it the obvious alternative mode of transport. But with this brings an onus on the rail freight industry to continue to prove that it can provide realistic, reliable, affordable and sustainable options to customers who currently use road for their logistics.

We must be mindful that road is making great strides in reducing its carbon footprint too and rail has to keep on innovating and pushing to keep its leading role in this area by continuing to work on emissions reduction. Whether this is by trialling alternative fuels to diesel, moving to electrified options or introducing measuring and reporting metrics that monitor emissions with action plans for improvements.

In March the UK’s first rail electrification trial for rail freight terminals was held in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, which is adjacent to the Midland Mainline. It became the first in the UK to demonstrate an innovative overhead electrification system, which could spell the end for diesel on electrified rail routes.

New way of decarbonising rail

The Decarbonisation and Electrification of Freight Terminals (DEFT) project, funded by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK, saw project partners Furrer+Frey GB, Tarmac and GB Railfreight demonstrate a new way of decarbonising rail and also lessening freight’s impact on passenger journeys.

Because freight trains are typically loaded and unloaded from above, the use of high voltage overhead cables is prevented on mainline railways, which means diesel is still relied on for the trains to move in and out of terminals. Engineers from Furrer+Frey designed an innovative Moveable Overhead Conductor system to

supply electricity to the locomotives so that they could safely move away once the train was in place and return when the train needed to move again.

This is just one example of the many innovations that are taking place across the industry.

So, I believe the setting is right for more customers and sectors to be attracted to moving their goods by rail in 2023. The need for companies, large or small, to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 means that supply chains and logistics must be reviewed as this plays a huge part in any business’s carbon footprint.

The Tesco and DRS partnership has been a great example of how supermarkets can successfully and reliably transport chilled produce by rail.

The supermarket giant launched its first refrigerated rail service, operated by DRS, in late 2021. This year the service, which carries chilled goods from Tilbury to Coatbridge twice a day, seven days a week, has won two awards, with judges describing it as a ‘step change for rail’.

The train travels a 415-mile (670-km) route using DRS’s Class 88 bi-mode electric locomotives, which can run on electricity and produce zero exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions. This service takes a whopping 17,000 containers off the roads every year, saving Tesco 7.3 million road miles and almost 9000 tonnes of CO2e.

Yet another example of the huge benefits rail freight can bring and I expect to see more customers turn their attention to the industry throughout this year ahead and beyond.

At BaileyRail & Logistics we spend a lot of time with our clients talking through the rail freight environment, what they should expect as a customer and how they can negotiate flexibility in plan so that train delivery times fit best with their schedules.

Understanding and optimising the available rail connection terminals is key to giving an efficient and reliable service across different modes of transport.

In all, 2023 has all the hallmarks of being a year to provide huge opportunities for rail freight to grow and to strive forward through innovations and digitalisation that offer customers an attractive and beneficial alternative to road transport.

TX Logistik focuses on growth in Scandinavia

TX LOGISTIK AB, the Swedish subsidiary of the German TX Logistik AG, will be operating in Denmark and Sweden with a new Single Safety Certificate. In the successful re-certification, the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) confirmed to the company, which belongs to Mercitalia Logistics (FS Italiane Group), that it fulfils all legal requirements for safe railway operations in both countries. The new certificate has a term of five years and is valid until the beginning of December 2027.

In the course of the renewal, TX Logistik AB had the previously valid A and B certificate for Sweden and the B certificate for Denmark converted into a single safety certificate for both countries. The ERA certificate, which is valid without restriction, also authorises the transport of dangerous goods. Furthermore, TX Logistik is one of only three freight railways allowed to operate on the Öresund Bridge in Sweden.

TX Logistik started the complex preparations for re-certification in December 2021. The core element of the work, for which management and employees invested a total of more than 3,200 working hours, was the conversion to a process-oriented safety management system.

With the new Single Safety Certificate, TX Logistik is also

setting the course for further growth - both on the north-south axis and domestic in Sweden. The company is already one of the most important providers of intermodal rail freight transport in Sweden. For example, on the route between Trelleborg, Malmö and Eskilstuna, an open train system is operated with seven round trips per week. TX Logistik transports foodstuffs between Bro (near Stockholm) and Malmö in ten round trips per week for the retail chain Coop, and a block train connection is operated as a company train for Walter trucks between Trelleborg and Eskilstuna with three round trips per week. In addition, traction services are provided for the Scandinavian part of the route within the framework of European TX relations, for example the intermodal connection from Duisburg via Padborg and Malmö to Katrineholm.

In January 2023, TX Logistik will launch a completely new intermodal connection between the Port of Stockholm Norvik and the terminal in Eskilstuna. This is the rail logistics provider's response to the growing demand for freight transport by rail from the logistics region around Eskilstuna. The plan is to operate the approximately 100-kilometre (62-mile) route five times a week.

GBRf announces 10-year locomotive leasing deal with Akiem

GB RAILFREIGHT (GBRf) has signed a new 10-year locomotive leasing deal with Akiem, a leading European rolling stock leasing company. The agreement will see £25 million invested to increase the number of locomotives across GBRf’s operations. This investment has been made possible by GBRf’s recent wins in the intermodal sector and continuing growth across a number of key markets.

The 11 Class 77 and Class 66 locomotives will operate services for businesses across intermodal, energy generation, infrastructure, waste, construction and rail services. They will arrive from continental Europe between January 2023 and May 2024.

On arrival in the UK, further investment will be made to convert the locomotives to make them compliant for UK service at EMD Doncaster Roberts Road. The first of the locomotives is expected to begin operating across the UK’s rail network by summer 2023.

John Smith, Chief Executive Officer of GB Railfreight said: “Over the past two years we’ve seen a significant growth in rail freight, with new customers and markets coming to us for support with their supply chains.

"This new deal with Akiem is part of our commitment to maintain this growth and offer a more sustainable alternative to transporting goods across the UK.”

Simon-Pierre Trezeguet, Managing Director of Akiem Locomotive Leasing Business Unit said: “We are very pleased to be adding such renown and appreciated Cl66 & Cl77 locomotives to the UK market while strengthening our partnership with GBRf. In a few months’ time, when our mainland European high-performance Cl 66 & Cl77 have been converted into locomotives perfectly adapted to the UK market, thanks to the GBRf teams technical expertise, they will greatly contribute to the development of rail freight across the United Kingdom”

Bernd Decker retires, Mathias Leiner is new ERS Railways CEO

EUROPE'S leading intermodal network operator Hupac has says the beginning of 2023 marks the start of a new era for ERS Railways, a member of the Hupac Group. Bernd Decker retires, Mathias Leiner is the new CEO of the company.

This step has been prepared for a long time, so that there are consolidated structures in place for this change. Mathias Leiner started as the second CEO at ERS Railways in October 2022.

He is perfectly familiar with the world of rail freight transport and especially combined transport.

Decker, who has built up ERS Railways and played a key role in shaping its development since its foundation, will continue to support the company in the area of sales during a

transitional phase.

"We are happy that Bernd Decker will make his broad wealth of experience available and pursue specific projects on behalf of Hupac Ltd in the future," explains Michail Stahlhut, CEO of the Hupac Group.

"With Mathias Leiner, we have been able to attract an outstanding leader for the further development of ERS Railways, and we already wish him every success."

Leiner holds a degree in business administration and brings 1five years of management experience in the transport and logistics sector. He will drive forward the future-oriented development of ERS Railways together with the experienced team.

GATX IS committed to the safety of the communities in which it operates. To that end, the company recently donated two general purpose tank cars to North County Regional Fire’s new, state-of-the-art training facility in Stanwood, WA. In addition to providing the tank cars, GATX assisted with logistics to ensure they made it to the facility safely.

As the only fire training centre of its kind in Northwest Washington, not only will firefighters in North County benefit from the addition of these tank cars to their training programme, but neighboring agencies and community colleges will also have the opportunity to utilise the training resources.

The two tank cars will hold a total of 62,000 gallons (28,000

litres) of water, which will be used in conjunction with a pump system to provide variable water pressures to eight fire hydrants installed in a closed-loop system within the training facility. This will enable live-fire training scenarios, providing an unparalleled training experience that simulates real-life situations.

The goal is to better train over 9000 firefighters in the region and provide real-life experience in a controlled environment to help them proactively prevent and minimise injuries in the line of duty.

GATX is honoured to play a small role in helping provide fire department personnel with training and preparedness to keep their communities safe.

RAILROADING IN THE BLOOD

RAILROADING has been integral to our nation for almost two centuries, and for many families, it has been an important part of their heritage, too. BNSF locomotive engineer Brett Wodke is a sixth-generation railroader, starting with his great-great-great grandfather. Here’s a look at the Wodke family’s impressive history:

Frederick Wodke

Frederick Wodke immigrated to the US from Demmin, Germany, in the 1860s. After three years and the end of the US civil war, he landed in Kansas, working as a track section foreman for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, commonly referred to as the Katy. Frederick helped build rail lines between Parsons and Junction City, Kansas.

Charles Wodke

The second generation of Wodke railroaders was Frederick’s firstborn son, Charles Frederick Wodke. Charles was

an engineer for the Missouri Pacific Railroad – nicknamed the MOP – in Council Grove, Kansas.

William Wodke

William Arthur Wodke, “Pop,” was the third generation of Wodkes to work for a railroad. He also worked for the MOP in Council Grove starting as a fireman, the person responsible for shov eling coal to power steam engines. On his first trip in the 1920s, he was accompanied by his father, Charles, who was serving as engineer.

Later, as an engineer himself, William’s route was

BLOOD FOR SIX GENERATIONS

Council Grove to Hoisington, Kansas, retiring in 1968 at the age of 67.

“Pop was my great-grandpa, and he is the oldest relative I can remember working for the railroad,” said Brett. “One time, my great-grandma, Pop’s wife, rode on the Rock Island passenger train to Kansas City. The train was being operated by their son, Jake, as conductor, and their grandson, Jim, my dad, as brakeman.”

The fourth generation was James “Jake” Charles Wodke Sr.

Jake began his railroad career at the MOP as brakeman and conductor. Eventually, he was furloughed and moved to Herington, Kansas, then hired onto the Rock Island Railroad as a passenger and freight brakeman and conductor. As a passenger conductor, Jake worked a route from Herington to Kansas City.

After a neck injury around age 45, Jake retired. Brett added, “My grandpa loved the railroad, and he always talked about getting back to work.”

“Jim” Charles Wodke Jr

Jake’s son, James “Jim” Charles Wodke Jr., was the fifth-generation railroader. He also worked for the Rock Island

Railroad in Herington, starting between his sophomore and junior year of high school working summers on a track gang doing track maintenance. In 1963, Jim graduated high school, but rather than attend graduation he instead took his first trip as a brakeman.

In 1979, Jim moved to Alliance, Nebraska, where he was hired by Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) and promoted to conductor.

“I remember my dad taking me on trips with him as a kid,” said Brett. “He would let me ride with him on the Rock Island to complete round trips. We went to Belleville, Kansas, twice. I loved it.”

Brett Wodke

Brett Wodke is the sixth generation of his family to work in the rail industry, and this February, he will retire on his birthday. He was born and raised in Herington, and at 18 was hired by the Santa Fe Railway a week before he finished high school in May 1981.

He began by working on a track gang, in Dodge City, Kansas, then in 1988, he moved to Alliance, working for BN as a brakeman.

In September 1990, Brett was promoted to conductor.

James Wodke Sr.

Jake Wodke Sr., second from right

James “Jim” Charles Wod- ke Jr. and James “Jake” Charles Wodke Sr.

Five years later, BN merged with Santa Fe and BNSF was born. Brett has worked as a locomotive engineer since, and today, his route is Alliance to Grand Island, Nebraska —a 271-mile stretch – mainly operating coal trains.

“I was scared for my first trip as an engineer,” explained Brett. “There’s a lot to do… a lot of responsibility.”

Brett recalled. “Sometimes my uncle Danny, who was an engineer for the Rock Island, would see us and load us up onto a switch engine. When a train would pass, we would look to see if it was my dad or grandpa on the train.

I remember seeing him!”

Railroading is not for the faint of heart, but to many, it is a rewarding career. Brett explained that the lifestyle is hard with unpredictable hours, night shifts and missing out on birthdays and other events, but he says the industry has been good to him and his family.

“I wouldn’t go back and do anything else. I never changed my mind,” Brett said. “When I retire, I feel like I will have given the railroad 110%. I always showed up early and worked a lot. I did everything I could to be a good railroader and do a good job. That was important to me.”

Until now, the Wodke family railroading history was through father-son connections. Brett has three daughters, two of whom married locomotive engineers. One son-in-law, Ryan, works for Union Pacific (UP) in Herington, and the other, Tyson, works for BNSF in Alliance.

“Railroading runs through our veins, and we are extremely proud to be a part of this heritage,” Brett said.

Brett and his sister, Tina, on a Rock Island caboose.

From left: Tyson and Carly Navarro; Miranda and Ryan Idleman; Shelby and Brady Brogan; and Brett Wodke.

KEEP THE DATE: Railway industry calendar of events

2023

07 February London, UK Rolling Stock Forum 2023

09 February Birmingham, UK TransCityRail Midlands

21-23 February Rome, Italy International Railway Summit

23 February London, UK Rail Business Awards

28 Feb-2 March São Paulo, Brazil NT Expo São Paulo

03 March London, UK Golden Whistle Awards

08 March Glasgow, UK Rail in Scotland

28-30 March Lille France SIFER13th International Exhibition of Railway Technology

09-11 May Birmingham, UK Railtex

09-11 May London, UK Railtex

23 May London, UK Railway Innovation Awards

31 May-1 June Asia Pacific Rail Bangkok, Thailand

03-05 October Milan, Italy Expo Ferroviaria

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