Freight Tracks issue 30

After the positive reaction to World Freight Train Day 2022, we are beginning to plan World Freight Train Day 2023. We welcome any reader who wants to get in at the start of planning WFTD23. Just get

WORLD FREIGHT TRAIN DAY 2023

TX LOGISTIK'S TRIANGULAR TRAFFIC

IN order to shift more goods to rail, TX Logistik has successfully launched an international triangular service for intermodal transports in mid-March. The offer of the rail logistics company, which is part of Mercitalia Logistics (Gruppo FS Italiane), connects Romania, Austria, Italy and Germany with one train per week. It was designed for two large Romanian forwarding companies and an Italian carrier.

Compared to normal round trips with outward and backward connections between two destinations, the triangular

concept created by TX Logistik connects the terminals in Curtici, Romania and Hall in Tirol, Austria; Verona, Italy; and Duisburg, Germany with one-way relations. Users can thus be able to bypass imbalances in the flow of goods. While all regions have high cargo volumes, there are not always necessarily sufficient volumes to load trains for a round trip with appropriate backloads.

The start and end point of the triangular connection is the Arad Railport in Curtici. From there, the train, which is

TRAFFIC BETWEEN FOUR STATES

also the first intermodal connection between Romania and Italy, first runs to the Quadrante Europa terminal in Verona – with a stopover at the TSSU terminal in Hall/Tyrol, where wagons with trailers for Austria are transferred. From Verona, the journey continues – again with a stopover in Hall – to Duisburg.

There, TX Logistik, as one of three owners, operates the destination terminal at the logport III logistics area. The route from Duisburg to Curtici then marks the end

of the triangular traffic.

Traction on the nearly 4000-kilometer-long triangular rail link is handled by TX Logistik and in Hungary and the section in Romania by Hungarian railway company Gysev, a longtime traction partner.

After the successful start, it is planned to increase the capacity with a second train on April 18. The possibility of transferring the triangular concept to other suitable routes in Europe is also being examined.

OPERAIL EXITS WAGON

AS Operail Leasing sold its last 1036 rental wagons at a price of €22.7 million during February and March. With this, all wagons belonging to Operail Leasing have been sold and the rental business has ended. In 2017–2022, Operail’s wagon rental business earned a return on equity of 21% per year on average, which is 38% more than foreseen in the initial business plan.

The opportunity to participate in the auction of the assets of Operail Leasing, a subsidiary of Operail, the Estonian state-owned group of railway companies, was introduced to more than forty companies. Twenty interested parties made their offer at different stages of the process.

The sale took place in three sections. As the first section, last December, 522 wagons located in Ukraine were sold at a price of €6.51 euros. As the second tranche, last December and this January, Operail concluded sales contracts with two buyers, who bought 807 wagons at a price of €22.1 euros.

As the third tranche, during recent months, Operail sold all of the remaining 1036 rental wagons belonging to Operail Leasing. As a result of the auction, the wagons were sold to six Estonian companies and one company from Kazakhstan. The total amount of these transactions was €22.7 million euros.

“Overall, the detailed sales process and its result can be considered a success for Operail, although it turned out to be longer than originally planned due to the war in Ukraine. It is a pleasure to note that the negotiation process with the companies that qualified as buyers in the final round went well and the quality was high. I would also like to express special thanks to the Operail Leasing team, who handled the difficult sales process well,” said Merle Kurvits, Member of the Management Board of Operail and Executive Director of Operail Leasing.

“For us, the sale of all rental wagons means that the Op-

erail Leasing wagon rental business can be considered finished,” confirmed Kurvits.

Rental of wagons

The rental of wagons was the most profitable business area for Operail for the past six years and this is where 99% of its profits came from. In 2017–2022, the wagons of Operail and Operail Leasing earned a total of 68 million euros as rental income.

Operail started renting wagons in 2001, when the company was still part of AS Eesti Raudtee. In 2009, the rental of wagons together with freight transport moved to a separate company EVR Cargo (later Operail). In 2017, the business was expanded. The rental of wagons was concentrated in the subsidiary Operail Leasing.

“The reason for expanding the business was that after the events of the Bronze Night, Russian transit through Estonia decreased significantly and freight transport separately was no longer self-sustaining. As freight transport is strategically important for the country, it was necessary to find ways to remain economically viable. We were looking for alternative income until freight transport in Estonia could be optimised and reformed. The media has given the impression that the wagon rental is the

WAGON RENTAL BUSINESS

‘Russian business’ of Operail. This is not true, the business was started for the opposite reason – to reduce dependence on the transport of goods in transit from Russia,” recalls AS Operail Chairman of the Management Board Raul Toomsalu.

The business model during the entire period of operation consisted of leasing wagons to European companies who used them for freight transport on the 1,520 mm railway, both domestically and internationally.

As wagon rental is not a strategically important activity for the state and this sector is also successful in the free market, the state decided to exit the business. The idea was written into the coalition agreement in 2016 and began in the spring of 2021. In the spring of 2022, due to Russian aggression, the method of sale changed – instead of partially privatising the company AS Operail Leasing, it was decided to sell its assets.

BECAUSE NOT ALL FREIGHT ON A TRAIN MOVES IN A BOX

NTS WINS BIG AT GENDER EQUALITY AWARDS

NUCLEAR Transport Solutions (NTS) has picked up a top diversity award for its work in gender equality. The prestigious Northern Power Women Awards, held in Manchester, saw the nuclear transport and logistics specialists named winner of the ‘Medium Organisation Award’.

A panel of judges awarded NTS the accolade based on its work to support current female employees and its work to attract more women into the organisation.

In 2021, NTS launched a female-focused gender recruitment campaign which attracted a cohort of female trainee train drivers. It also launched a Women Returners Programme this year to help talented women return to the workforce.

Judges also commended the business on its success in achieving gender parity in its executive team and on the support offered to employees who identify as female.

Claire Doughty, NTS HR Director, said: “I’m delighted our continued commitment to gender equality has been recognised with this fantastic award win from Northern Power Women. It wouldn’t be possible without the dedication and professionalism of our people who drive the change within our organisation.

“The awards shed light on some inspirational achievements that are helping to turn the dial on diversity and gender

equality both socially and professionally. It’s wonderful to be chosen among such brilliant individuals and businesses.”

The Northern Power Women Awards, now in their seventh year, saw a record 1500 nominations across 11 categories and welcomed around 1000 guests to its awards event at the Manchester Central Convention Complex.

Seth Kybird, NTS CEO, said: “This is outstanding recognition of the real change that’s been achieved around gender diversity and equality at NTS. Attracting and retaining the skills and talent we need, calls for us to be a modern and inclusive employer. We want to be an organisation where people feel proud to work, and feel respected, included and able to perform at their best.”

Wanda Goldwag, Chair of NTS Board, added: “This award is fantastic acknowledgement of our progress in the field of gender equality. Gender balance and diversity is vital to the success of businesses such as ours and if we’re to achieve our decommissioning mission, we need the best people with the brightest minds to helps us do that.”

The award is the first one won by the business since the three leading UK nuclear transport and logistics companies PNTL, INS and DRS were brought together as NTS - part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group.

Kalmar’s first heavy electric forklift to help Innofreight achieve carbon neutrality by 2040

KALMAR, part of Cargotec, has secured an order from Austrian rail logistics service provider Innofreight Solutions (Innofreight) for a Kalmar heavy electric forklift – the first of its kind to be delivered to a customer anywhere in the world. The order was booked in Cargotec’s Q4 2022 order intake and the machine is scheduled to be delivered during Q4 2023.

Innofreight, founded in 2002, develops modular rail wagon solutions for a wide variety of industrial sectors including pulp and paper, agriculture and construction. The company’s equipment is in operation in 20 European countries on all three European standard rail gauges. Innofreight’s current equipment fleet includes 60 diesel-powered Kalmar forklifts with various lifting capacities.

Peter Wanek-Pusset, Managing Director, Innofreight: “If we are to achieve our target to be carbon neutral by 2040 it is essential that we start reducing our reliance on fossil fuels now. Kalmar is a long-term partner and a leader in the field of eco-efficient electric equipment, so we are very pleased to be able to take this initiative forward together with them.”

Dietmar Kohlhuber, Area Sales Manager, Kalmar Austria: “We are very proud to announce the first ever order for our eco-efficient heavy electric forklift, which is the latest addition to the Kalmar Electric Portfolio launched at the end of 2021. Innofreight is a true pioneer in the rail logistics space and we are delight- ed that they have chosen our technology to showcase the benefits of electrical- ly powered machines in demanding cargo-handling operations.”

Samskip, duisport and TX Logistik to jointly operate logport III

SAMSKIP, duisport and TX Logistik will jointly operate the CT terminal at logport III in Duisburg-Hohenbudberg in the future. For this purpose, the three partners have founded the new company "Ziel Terminal GmbH". Samskip will hold 49.8% of the shares, duisport and TX Logistik each will hold 25.1% respectively. The terminal will be leased on a long-term basis by duisport to the joint venture.

The terminal partnership signed by the three owners is currently still subject to approval by the European competition authorities. Approval is expected in the next few weeks. "TX Logistik is on course for growth. In order to continue this development and to be able to shift even more transports to rail in the future, the company needs terminal capacities that it can safely fall back on," Gianpiero Strisciuglio, CEO Mercitalia Logistics, explains the decision. Currently TX Logistik, which is responsible for international rail freight transport within the Mercitalia Group (Gruppo FS Italiane), already operates two round trips per week between Duisburg and Katrineholm in Sweden for Samskip.

The Duisburg terminal is located in a strategic geographical position, in the heart of Germany, in an important industrial zone, along the main trade interchange axis of Europe," says Gianpiero Strisciuglio. "Being part of the shareholding structure that will manage it means guaranteeing customers an expansion of geographic targets, improved service quality, synchronisation of traction and access slots to terminal areas, and greater transport efficiency, all activities preparatory to a door-to-door service."

"The long-term partnership not only strengthens our location, but also paves the way for sustainable growth and the expansion of our business model. By jointly exploiting the potential of the three strong players duisport, Samskip, and TX Logistik, we can continuously develop the terminal and be successful together. This will create additional handling capacities at the Duisburg location," says duisport CEO Markus Bangen.

Samskip CEO Kari-Pekka Laaksonen: “We are delighted with the idea of taking our long-standing partnership with TX Logistik and the Port of Duisburg to a new level. The decision

is clearly a win-win-win scenario as the benefits for all parties is substantial. As Samskip is extremely committed to deliver its sustainability targets, this will also further cement the usage and the growth of rail modality in the location.”

The 140,000 sq m terminal facility in Duisburg-Hohenbudberg has seven transshipment tracks, each 720m long, two shunting tracks and two high-performance gantry cranes for transshipment between road and rail. The annual handling capacity is up to 250,000 loading units.

In addition, terminal operations can rely on modern IT and communications technology such as a control tower system for the pre- planning of terminal activities and exception management. Other high standards include high-tech gate functions, OCR scanning for registration, security, order prioritisation and truck parking allocation. In addition, various facilities are available, such as cross-docking or railcar repair.

Gianpiero Strisciuglio: "This offers us opportunities to offer further services in the future – for example, a photo lock can be used to generate data on the condition of truck tarpaulins or tires, which can then be transmitted to customers in terms of preventive maintenance management."

To enter the shareholding structure of the terminal in Duisburg is in line with the provisions of the FS Italiane Group's Business Plan, presented by CEO Luigi Ferraris last May, Mercitalia Logistics envisages investments of €2.9 billion over the next ten years to foster a major operational and commercial development of the sustainable logistics asset around rail freight traffic both in Italy and Europe.

GATX Rail Europe at transport logistic

"MARK your calendars for May 9-12 and meet us at the transport logistic fair in Munich this year," says the rail leasing operator.

"We are looking forward to showing you our latest fleet additions and services in person.

"Come see our new grain cars and our intermodal LNG solution combining a T3000e car with Trifleet LNG containers. In addition, all attendees will be able to view our entire railcar fleet collection via a virtual tour at our booth.

"We have created an impactful showroom for our visitors, designed to serve as an all-in-one stop for information and networking. We will present on four key topics that lie at the heart of our work and values and represent

how we make railcar leasing easier: our fleet, our telematics solutions, our services, and our innovation projects," says the company.

Visitors are invlited to virtually inspect and step inside one of GATX's chemical cars, get to know increased freight car offerings and join an on-track tour of the newest wagon type addition: the grain car. All of the comp[any's fleet will be on display virtually.

Visitors can learn how GATX keeps on making railcar leasing easier. It has streamlined and digitalised essential processes.

"We can’t wait to discuss innovation in rail technology, including the advancements in

DAC and our involvement in it as well as the improvement of noise reduction and optimization of maintenance processes through our collaboration with visionaries such as Nevomo and their unique MagRail tech development," notes the company.

FREIGHT TRACKS will attend transport logistic fair in Munich.

If you are attending or exhibiting, please get in touch for coverage.

See you there!

Henrik Dahlin new CEO of Green Cargo

HENRIK Dahlin will be the new CEO of Green Cargo AB. Dahlin comes most recently from MTR Nordic Group where he is currently CEO. Henrik will take up his position at Green Cargo no later than September 16.

"I am very pleased that we have succeeded in recruiting Henrik Dahlin to Green Cargo. Henrik has a long experience of the transport and logistics industry as well as of passenger transport by rail. He has a well-known ability to deliver results and is respected throughout the railway industry," says Green Cargo's Chairman of the Board, Andreas Regnell.

Dahlin's most important task will be to, together with management and employees at Green Cargo, continue the journey towards long-term profitability through a focus on punctuality, quality and efficiency.

" Henrik's leadership skills and logistics experience will be a great asset in the work of providing our customers with the best possible logistics solutions," says Regnell.

Around the clock, Green Cargo's freight trains transport both raw materials and processed products to industries in different parts of Scandinavia and to the continent. In many cases, the end products also take the train to consumers in a sustainable logistics system that lays the foundation for Sweden's prosperity and consumption.

"Green Cargo is important for the Scandinavian business community both today and in a future when more and more industries are switching to fossil-free value chains. I am proud and happy to be entrusted with leading Green Cargo and look forward to meeting the employees and taking part in all the knowledge that exists within the company, says Dahlin.

Since 2013, Dahlin has held several different roles within the MTR Group, of which the last two years with overall responsibility for all of MTR's operations in Sweden. Prior to that, he worked at DHL Freight as Director of Field sales & Telesales.

THE Ukrainian financial and industrial company TAS Group, headquartered in Kiev, has acquired a 40.03% stake in TransANT GmbH. The TAS Group is one of the fastest growing companies in Ukraine and has extensive experience in the construction of wagons and components through its own manufacturing plant in Dniprovagonmash, Ukraine. The production of TransANT's main components will also start there with immediate effect.

The other shares in TransANT GmbH are distributed among the previous owners: voestalpine Stahl GmbH, a subsidiary of the steel and technology group

voestalpine AG, continues to hold a majority share of 48.10%. Voestalpine brings extensive expertise in the use of high-strength steel for lightweight construction. The remaining shares amounting to 11.87% are held by ÖBB Rail Cargo Group, a leading rail logistics specialist in Europe with extensive customer and industry know-how thanks to a strong international network from Europe to Asia. The new ownership structure in combination with pooled knowledge from a wide range of sectors is ideal for the further development of products, production capacities and in the sale of the innovative, modular freight wagons in lightweight construction.

Millions could come

Texas House appropriation request filed for $200M to activate the

TEXAS

State Representative Stan Gerdes (Dist. 17-Smithville) has filed a rider to the Texas House Appropriations bill that, if accepted and approved, would direct $200 million in General Revenue Funds to the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund (RRIF). This would be the first time the fund would receive a boost from the legislature since voters approved the RRIF with a constitutional amendment in 2005.

"With the state running a surplus and with some $36 billion in federal funding for rail projects to be distributed in a five year period, this could be the perfect storm for finally getting some long-sought-after freight and passenger rail projects started in Texas," according to Texas Rail Advocates President Peter LeCody.

"Texas could finally file for competitive federal grants with as little as a 20% state match, just like we do for highways. If we don't get our Fair Share For Rail of the federal funds, other states will.

"We thank Representative Gerdes, his staff and Giddings Economic Development Corporation President/CEO David Stedman for pursuing this rider."

The $200 million rider would add those funds to the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) budget, directing the money to be transferred to the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund for use by TxDOT for rail relocation and improvement projects and as matching funds for Federal Funds for eligible projects in accordance with the Texas Constitution and the Transportation Code, according to the rider language.

In the rider it states that "It is the intent of the Legislature that monies in the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund No. 0306 be used, in part, to provide matching funds for any Federal Funds sources and programs that may be available to the State for financing rail relocation and improvement projects that are eligible for

funding from the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund."

Appropriated Fund 0306, as stated by the State Comptroller, describes the RRIF as being "Authorised to receive proceeds from bonds and notes as well as dedications and appropriations made by the legislature. For financing the relocation and improvement of privately and publicly owned passenger and freight rail facilities in order to relieve highway congestion, enhance public safety, improve air quality, and expand economic opportunity. May be used for construction of railroad underpasses and overpasses if related to the relocation of a rail facility."

A growing number of US cities, counties, economic development agencies, ports and rail districts have issued resolutions and letters of support to the Texas Transportation Commission, TxDOT and legislators in support of rail funding during the past 12 months.

Stan Gerdes

come freight's way

the Rail Relocation & Improvement Fund

The rider

Article VII, Department of Transportation

Proposed Funding and Rider

Appropriation for Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund

Prepared by LBB Staff, 03/07/2023

OVERVIEW

Provide an appropriation of $200.0 million in General Revenue Funds to the Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and add a rider to the TxDOT bill pattern directing these funds to be transferred to the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund for use by TxDOT for rail relocation and improvement projects and as matching funds for Federal Funds for eligible projects in accordance with the Texas Constitution and the Transportation Code.

REQUIRED ACTION

(1) On page VII-18 of the Department of Transportation bill pattern, increase funding in Strategy D.1.3, Rail Construction, in fiscal year 2024 by $200,000,000 in General Revenue.

(2) On page VII-34 of the Department of Transportation bill pattern, add the following rider: Appropriation for Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund. Out of amounts appropriated above in Strategy D.1.3, Rail Construction, with the assistance of the Comptroller of Public Accounts, $200,000,000 in General Revenue in fiscal year 2024 shall be transferred to the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund No. 0306. In accordance with Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 49-o, monies in the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund No. 0306 are appropriated for the fiscal biennium beginning September 1 2023, for use by the Department of Transportation in a manner consistent with the provisions of Transportation Code, Chapter 201, Subchapter O. It is the intent of the Legislature that monies in the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund No. 0306 be used, in part, to provide matching funds for any Federal Funds sources and programs that may be available to the State for financing rail relocation and improvement projects that are eligible for funding from the Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund.

India report

Railways: like a single malt

A commentary by RAILWAY EXPERT

Lalit Chandra Trivedi

The mixing of gauges, traction and traffic streams erodes efficiency. Challenges that Indian Railways has been facing on this account are brought out here. We have solved some and are solving others.

Mixed traction

When I joined Indian Railways (IR) in 1983, all three modes of tractions - steam, diesel and electric were dominant - in their respective niche areas.

In fact, we had two types of electric traction 1500V DC serving Mumbai area and 25 KV AC in the rest of India. Two types of diesel traction, diesel-electric and diesel hydraulic.

In a significant achievement by the end of 2023, IR will have its 100% network, barring mountain railways, under 25 KV overhead electric wires, permitting seamless movement of high horse power electric locomotives (upto 12,000 HP) capable of hauling heavy and longer freight trains at maximum permissible speeds of the routes seamlessly all across it’s network.

Mixed track gauge

At the time of independence in 1947, IR had 26,000 miles of broad guage, 18,000 miles of metre guage and 4000 miles of narroiw guage tracks of two feet and 2-1/2 feet.

In 1971 IR launched 'project unigauge' and after initial slow start it gathered pace in last decade and today we have achieved UNIGAUGE across IR network.

All broad gauge 25KV electrified, 70K+ kilometres of tracks have made IR a lean and mean transport machine and railwaymen deserve a standing ovation.

Mixed streams of traffic

IR uses its tracks both for the movement of freight and passenger services.

This helped the growth of IR as a transportation system in a low speed era. We have super fast Trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdis being followed on the same track by coal-laden

freight trains. Steps are now underway to segregate these traffick streams.

Here it may be noted that track parameters particularly cant, differ for different speeds. In the slow-speed era, the speed differential between passenger and freight trains was marginal (100/110), but as speeds of mail express trains increased, on a mixed traffic route providing optimum value of cant becomes a challenge. It is clear that mixed traffic routes can not support high speed train

In India, the initial freight railway lines were built using standard gauge. In the 1850s, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway adopted the gauge of 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in) for the first passenger railway in India between Bori Bunder and Thane. This was then adopted as the standard for the nationwide network. Indian Railways today predominantly operates on 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge. Most of the metre gauge and narrow gauge railways have been converted to broad gauge. Small stretches of the network that remain on metre and narrow gauges are also being converted to broad gauge. 4

So the following actions have been initiated. All new suburban train systems (with average speeds around 50-60 kph) are under local/state governments and have adopted standard gauge, each having its own island of network and catchment area , without any connectivity with IR system.

2. Dedicated High Speed Rail corridors are being planned , starting with Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train project (300 kph) with a JV partner which happened to be Shinkesen of Japan which operated Bullet Train in Japan .

3. DFCs - Dedicated freight corridors are nearing com pletion which while will not eliminate mixed traffic running but will significantly bring it down .

I feel we need to develop a HSR (High Speed Rail) net works independent of current alignments on the IR like Metro systems.

CAG flags up inadequate approvals in 3.3 lakh (300k) railway wagons

THE Union Government (Railways) – Compliance Audit Report, Volume II report was laid on the table of both Houses of the Indian Parliament on March 27 2023.

The report consists of audit findings relating to three Pan India Paragraphs, two long Paragraphs and four individual Paragraphs of the Ministry of Railways.

Two elements of the report relate to rail freight operations in the country.

Procurement and Utilisation of Wagons in Indian Railways

In violation of the Codal provisions, Zonal Railways did not participate in the assessment of requirement of wagons or send proposals or justification for acquisition of wagons to the Railway Board.

In the absence of any input from the zones, the RB kept on changing requirement of wagons. Available Wagon holding was more than the wagon requirement, as assessed in audit on the basis of Wagon Utilisation norm (NTKM), throughout the review period. Supply of wagons by wagon manufacturers was not commensurate with allotment of wagons made by the Railway Board and there were huge delays in supply.

Rakes were cancelled by parties due to non-supply by Railway Administration resulting in loss of potential earnings. There were instances of detention of rakes in the selected loading and unloading points/terminal yards which resulted in loss of wagon days and their earning capacity. In around 69% of wagons abnormal delay was noted in connecting the unconnected wagons resulting in loss of earning capacity of wagons for the time taken for connecting those wagons.

Moreover, assistance of FOIS was not taken in all zones for connecting those unconnected wagons.

More than 3.30 lakh (330,000) wagons constituting 41% of total were passed locally (without NCO approval) after being repaired at workshops/terminal yards, compromising safety. Analysis of FOIS data for years i.e. 2016-17 to 2020-21 revealed that halt time was close to half of the total travel time and hence the aver-

age speed was also close to half of the average speed without halt time

Unplanned construction of Goods shed

The Southern Railway constructed a Goods Shed at Nilambur Road costing ₹5.12 crore ($51.2 million) without assessing the incoming and outgoing traffic. The Audit noted that there was insignificant traffic at the Goods Shed since its commissioning in February 2016.

The new contruction at the Kerala station including unloading facilities for 20 BCN wagons consisting of goods unloading platform, goods approach road, compound wall with CC blocks and goods shed office.

Alstomdelivers300thWAG12B

Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway joined the

ALSTOM, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has successfully delivered 300 electric locomotives to the Indian Railways. This marks a significant milestone in increasing the Indian Railways’ capabilities to haul heavy freight trains at high speed, to meet its ambitious freight targets. As part of its contract worth €3.5 billion, Alstom is supplying 800 high-powered double-section locomotives of 12,000 HP (9 MW) for freight service. Designated by Indian Railways as WAG-12B, these locos are capable of hauling ~6,000 tonne rakes at a top speed of 120 km/h.

Marking the milestone delivery, the 300th e-loco was flagged off from Alstom’s state of the art locomotive maintenance depot in Nagpur, which was inaugurated by the Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi in December of last year. This milestone was celebrated in the presence of Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway, and senior officials from Alstom, along with other key dignitaries from Indian Railways.

Massive transformation

Addressing the audience, Naresh Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway, said, “Indian Railways is undergoing a massive transformation in its freight operations and Alstom’s contribution in powering this revolution is commendable. The Joint Venture formed between Indian Railways and Alstom, to build India’s most powerful electric locomotives for freight service is a stellar example of a successful Public Private Partnership model, it will play a key role in accelerating the growth of the freight sector. The world-class facility built here, and the quality of products and services delivered by Alstom, are well aligned with the Government’s 'Make in India’, ‘Skill India’, and green mobility initiatives. This combined with the workplace culture nurtured by Alstom, will definitely set new benchmarks for our industry”.

“The Alstom WAG12B electric locomotive has proven to be a capability multiplier, with its ability to haul greater loads at faster speeds. The 300th loco delivery is a proud milestone for us, and as we continue to deliver more locomotives, this partnership will continue to boost the nation’s logistic capabilitiesm" said Olivier

Loison, Managing Director - Alstom India

Commenting on the milestone, Loison said, “The Government of India is prioritising reducing logistics costs in its efforts to boost the economy towards the $5 trillion economy target. Indian Railways will play an important role in achieving this goal, and for that it needs to strengthen its haulage capacity. The Alstom WAG12B electric locomotive has proven to be a capability multiplier, with its ability to haul greater loads at faster speeds.

The 300th loco delivery is a proud milestone for us, and as we continue to deliver more locomotives, this partnership will continue to boost the nation’s logistic capabilities.”

As part of the contract, Alstom’s Nagpur Depot will be maintaining 250 WAG12B e-loco starting from series 60251. This depot is equipped with the latest technologies and features to anticipate breakdowns thereby enabling proactive maintenance of India’s most advanced freight locomotives at significantly lower costs. The depot has 12 tracks for maintenance with hi-tech equipment.

The depot is equipped with Centred Fleet monitoring (CFM) system to remotely monitor the fleet via

WAG12BelectriclocomotivetoIR

the site celebrations for the flag-off

Health hub and Train Tracer system. The Prompt Response Team (PRT) is deployed for 24/7 loco attention.

Green features like rainwater harvesting, zero discharge using effluent treatment plant and sewerage treatment plant, 100% LED lights, daylight panels,

occupancy sensors, greenery and provisioned for 1 MW rooftop solar plant.

This is the second such facility set up by Alstom, after the depot at Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, which houses the first 250 locomotives delivered to Indian Railways.

www.freight-tracks.com

Alstom in India recognised as ‘Top Employer’ for the third consecutive year

ALSTOM, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has received the Global Top Employer 2023 certification for the first time, with certificates in 22 countries compared to 14 countries in 2022. This is the fourth consecutive year that the Alstom Group has received this distinction in Europe, the third year for the Asia-Pacific region, including India, as well as North America and the first year for the Middle East.

Due to the ecological transition, Alstom must respond to a growing international demand for more modern and sustainable mobility solutions. With an order

our business outlook and this win is a testament to the sheer dedication and commitment of our employees," said Olivier Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India

“It is a proud moment for us as we have successfully retained our position as the only Top Employer in the Indian mobility industry for the third consecutive year. At Alstom, our people agenda has been at the core of our business outlook and this win is a testament to the sheer dedication and commitment of our employees. We aim to continue providing higher engagement to our diverse workforce and empower and support them in their ca-

book of €85.9 billion, the Group maintains an excellent recruitment dynamic and is specifically targeting young talent to contribute to the challenges of smart and sustainable mobility.

“It is a proud moment for us as we have successfully retained our position as the only Top Employer in the Indian mobility industry for the third consecutive year. At Alstom, our people agenda has been at the core of

reer aspirations."

With a strong order backlog of over €4.7 billion from its operations, and the optimism for the Indian market, the company continues its recruitment drive in 2023. With continued focus on hiring across the value chain – from production to methods, supplies, and functions, the recruitment will be a mix of engineers, technicians, and data science specialists. The team in India has grown

consistently over the past few years, from 2000+ full time employees in 2016 to over 10,500+ team members today. The company heavily invests in nurturing and training talent across levels, from young graduates to engineering experts to senior leaders who are contributing to smart and sustainable mobility.

Today, Alstom is the only organisation in the heavy engineering and mobility sector in India to be re-certified. This is a testament to Alstom’s continued commitment towards creating a better workplace through excellent people practices.

In Alstom's recruitment strategy, young graduates are particularly targeted. The company’s flagship Young Engineering Graduates Programme (YEGP) is an award-winning signature programme at Alstom India that has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2015. Today, Alstom has over 1,700 engineering graduates who have been hired through this programme. The programme started from a small cohort of 51 engineers and has grown significantly with onboarding of 300+ fresh graduates in 2022, representing 17 states and 40+ universities and institutions. Moving forward in 2023, Alstom plans to hire 650+ engineering graduates from across 25+ states and 40+ universities and engineering institutions across India. The campus selection and evaluation process includes panel members from a cross section of business leaders, experts and HR professionals who identify the young talent to build smarter and greener mobility solutions for India and the world.

Learning culture at Alstom

To ensure the integration and development of its young recruits, Alstom in India counts on a strong internal learning culture. On average, 27 hours of learning is achieved per employee in India per year against the learning target of 21 hours per employee per year, using state-of-the-art technology. With a very broad catalogue, Alstom’s learning platform (iLearn) is notably digital and accessible anywhere, at any time from any type of equipment (computer, tablet, or smartphone). Alstom University offers immersive virtual reality experiences through its regional campuses, but also through the metaverse, using avatars and 3D models accessible from personal computers or using virtual reality headsets.

Innovation and implementation

Alstom develops sustainable and smart mobility solutions. Throughout its value chain, the company offers a wide range of career opportunities in all functions, particularly in engineering, but also in procurement and project management. In line with trends in the tech sector, software engineering and cybersecurity are among the most dynamic functions. New jobs related to hydrogen are also highly valued.

IR has over 11 lakh employees

THE total number of employees in Indian Railways on February 1 2023 was 1,175,925.

There is no current proposal to privatise Indian Railways. However, to unleash faster development and completion of track, rolling stock manufacturing and delivery of passenger freight services, Ministry of Railways under various schemes of Public Private Partnership (PPP) attract investment in various areas viz. network expansion, setting up of locomotive factories, induction of railway wagons, station development, building freight terminals etcetera. from the stake holders and strategic investors.

Further, outsourcing of certain services like station cleaning, pay and use toilets, retiring rooms, parking and asset maintenance etc. is being done on need based manner to improve these services.

There is no poposal to privatise Indian Railways, confirms Ashwani Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology in the government of India

Interestnigly, there are two railways in the top ten list of world emplyers.

I've been working on the railroad, all the live-long day"

WHETHER you go to work in a Hi-Viz jacket or safety wear to work trackside, put on a smart suit to work in a railway's C-suite or casual clothes to sit in front of a screen, we want to hear from you.

Our next special report looks at those who work in rail freight around the world. It does not matter what your role or experience might be, we are interested in learning what your work involves, where you might fit into the world of rail freight operations.

Send us your thoughts on the industry, how impiortant rail freight is in the supply chain, its role in green-ing business and your thought on the future of the sector.

We'd also like to hear your thoughts on how you personally feel about being involved in railways in your professional lfe. Are you an ardent railfan? Is that why you are working with trains? Just send us some words - 150 to 1000 - to tell us your story.

"

FrT FEATURES 2023

In 2023, Freight Tracks issues will contain a series of monthly in-depth feature articles on rail freight business topics.

Our writers will look at the subject from different angles to give a 360o oversight. These will be perfect places for advertisements to reach your customers.

editor@freight-tracks.com

January

Rolling stock leasing

February

Intermodal

March

Rail freight software

April

Railway personnel

May

Rolling stock design

June

Rolling stock leasing

July

Automotive

August

EU rail freight

September

North American rail freight

October

UK & Ireland rail freight

November

Freight locomotives

December

Prospects for 2024

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

Publisher & Editor: James Graham editor@freight-tracks.com

Editorial support: Kim Smith

Designer: Alex Brown freighttracks@gmail.com

Sales Manager: Martin Kingswell

Sales Executive: Peter Dolan

Webmaster: Natasha Antony

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

All rights reserved, No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the copyright owner. Multiple copying of the contents of the magazine without prior written consent is forbidden. Material sent to the editor, whether commissioned or freely submitted, is provided at the contributor’s own risk. Freight Tracks cannot be held responsible for loss of damage however cause. The opinions and views expressed by authors and contributors within Freight Tracks are not necessarily those of the editor or Freight Tracks. We are unable to guarantee the bona ideas of any advertisers.

Copyright: 1435 Media London 2023