Rail Networks News

Port of Hamburg, Germany’s biggest universal port, said that in the first three months of 2019, at 2.57 million tons, the total quantity of cargo carried by inland waterway craft between the Port of Hamburg and its hinterland achieved double-digit growth of 12.1 percent.One limiting influence on the further development of quantities by inland vessel this year has been the barely navigable River Elbe caused by low water since May.From Stefan Kunze’s point of view; he is head of the Port of Hamburg Representative Office in Dresden, against this backdrop it is difficult to forecast the ongoing development of cargo quantities carried by inland vessels on the Elbe this year.Already last year…

The provider of global mobile satellite communications Inmarsat has joined forces with two start-up programmes including Rainmaking’s Trade and Transport Impact (T&TI) and Bluetech Accelerator.The purpose is to create initiatives that directly support start-ups focused on IoT and big data innovation for improved safety, efficiency and sustainability in the maritime, ports and logistics supply chain.The programmes will fund, support and mentor start-up’s developing applications that aim to harness the power of IoT and big data to enhance safety, efficiency and sustainability. Inmarsat will collaborate with those start-ups to find a route to market via its global…

Indian multipurpose port APM Terminals Pipavav has launched a rail connection to its Kanpur Inland Container, giving customers the opportunity to connect more efficiently to the gateway port.The new connection was named the 'Polymer Express' as the first train on the route was carrying 90 TEUs of polymer for Gail, the natural gas transmission company.APM Terminals Pipavav is one of India's gateway ports for containers and liquid and dry bulk cargoes, serving customers in the state of Gujarat with road and rail networks to India's hinterland and northwest.“This new connection will help exporters and importers to move their cargo faster and more safely using an environmentally friendly mode of transport…

The Port of Everett has achieved another vital step in reducing congestion on the I-5 corridor while moving more freight in the region. The Port was notified this month that it received designation by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as a Federal Maritime Administration Marine Highway Project for the Puget Sound Container on Barge Service under the America’s Marine Highway Program.The Port is one of 25 marine highway projects in the nation, and the only marine project designation on the West Coast.

By crossing the downstream limits of the Port of Montreal at Sorel at 11:55 a.m., the Ottawa Express became the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2018. The Ottawa Express under the command of Captain Rakesh Kumar, is a container ship operated by Hapag-Lloyd and represented in Montreal by the Robert Reford Agency. The Ottawa Express left the Port of Liverpool, England, on December 21st. It docked late afternoon at Berth 77 at Cast Terminal operated by Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership, after braving the freezing weather of this beginning of the year. On Wednesday, January 3, as part of an official ceremony…

Largest cargo vessel to visit U.S. The largest cargo ship to visit the United States, the CMA CMG Benjamin Franklin, arrived Monday at The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s Terminal 18 in Seattle. The Benjamin Franklin has capacity for 18,000 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), more than double the cargo of most container ships calling at Northwest Seaport Alliance terminals. If laid end-to-end, the 18,000 TEUs would stretch from Tacoma to Everett, a distance of about 68 miles.

APM Terminals Pipavav (Gujarat Pipavav Port), one of western India’s fastest growing gateway ports has been awarded the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Preferred Terminal of the year at the 4th edition of the Gujarat Star Awards held in Ahmedabad. The port has been given this award for two consecutive years. Last year the port was awarded “ICD preferred port of the year 2014” at the 3rd Gujarat Star Awards. APM Terminals Pipavav received this award as it has always maintained highest standards of operational performance, year-on-year growth, hi-tech facilities and customer satisfaction. Organized by Daily Shipping Times, Gujarat Star Awards has set a benchmark for recognizing excellence of companies or individuals in the maritime and logistics sector of Gujarat. The award was received by Mr.

AVEVA and Capgemini today announced the signing of a global alliance agreement, which the companies expect will benefit asset-intensive industries such as oil and gas, process, power, marine and transport infrastructure. Building upon the alliance’s capabilities, customers will be able to achieve increased efficiency in construction, revamp and modification projects, as well as to extend the life of, and improve the integrity of operational information in, existing assets. For newbuild projects, AVEVA’s Integrated engineering and design solution enables rapid project setup, highly productive clash-free 3D design and real-time collaboration across different locations and disciplines…

U.S. coal-burning power utilities are being forced to turn to barges and more expensive trucks to move coal, desperate to shore up stockpiles left dangerously low by the widespread bottlenecks on rail networks. The shift in how coal is being delivered to some power plants from mining regions such as Illinois Basin and comes amid persistent railroad delays that began during last year's severe North American winter. The delays have been perpetuated also by a surge in rail deliveries of crude oil and grain…

GE Marine and Lloyd’s Register report they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to identify potential gas turbine-powered commercial ship projects. GE Marine is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of marine propulsion systems, products and services. Lloyd’s Register helps clients to safely design, build and maintain ships, oil rigs, rail networks and power stations, and is a key player in supporting innovation in shipping - to reduce both environmental impact and to improve ship performance.

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals Private Limited (BMCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of PSA Bharat Investments Pte Ltd (which is a subsidiary of PSA International), signed the concession with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) on 6 May 2014 to develop the JN Port’s fourth container terminal on a design, build, operate, finance and transfer basis in Mumbai for a period of 30 years. Located at India’s largest and premier container gateway port, BMCT will have berths with a depth of 16.5 metres, the deepest in JN Port. BMCT will be equipped with the latest technology and equipment to serve important industrial and manufacturing centres and cities in India’s largest hinterland. BMCT is well-connected by major highways and rail networks to key markets in India, a fast-growing economy.

Aegis Group, a Leader in Oil, Gas and Chemical Logistics, announced successful early commissioning of the 70,120 KL Bulk Liquid Terminal at Pipavav port on West coast of India. The Pipavav - Phase I expansion was initiated in February 2013 to set up Bulk Liquid Terminal of 1,20,000 KL & 2,700 MT of Gas Terminal & was targeted to commission in H2 FY2015. However, the best efforts of in-house project team resulted in advancement of project by six months. Over 50% Liquid Facilities has now been commissioned with 13 additional tanks operational with a storage capacity totaling to 70,120 KL. Phase I of capacity expansion at Pipavav is a greenfield project to set up Bulk Liquid Terminal with 31 tanks aggregating to the storage capacity of 1…

Australia's Victoria state government said it may sell Port of Melbourne, the country's largest container and general cargo port, continuing a rush by states to sell major assets to fund new infrastructure projects. Victorian Treasurer Michael O'Brien said the government will commission a scoping study into the potential sale of Port of Melbourne and a second port, in a deal local media said may net about A$5 billion ($4.5 billion). The study will be completed before the May state budget. State governments are selling ports, power stations and roads to fund billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure. New South Wales state sold Port Botany and Port Kembla a year ago for A$5 billion and hopes to sell Port of Newcastle in 2014 for an expected A$700 million.

WTS International, the association for the professional advancement of women in transportation, elected Beverley K. Swaim-Staley, President and CEO of Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC), to the position of Vice Chair of its board of directors. The position, left vacant when the board’s previous vice chair, Dana Hook, P.E., Vice President at CDM Smith, moved into the position of Chair in 2012. As President of URSC, Swaim-Staley leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive master plan for Union Station in Washington, DC.

River Mersey'a new terminal, 'Liverpool 2', gets European Investment Bank (EIB) port development loan. Liverpool 2, is due to open in 2015, and the European Investment Bank has agreed to provide almost half the finance for the £305m development, reports BBC News Liverpool. The post-Panamax terminal - for ships wider than the original Panama Canal - will be capable of handling ships carrying 13,500 TEU containers, compared to the current limit of 3,500 TEU in Liverpool, and will be able to accommodate two large ships at the same time. Owner Peel Ports, said the terminal, which is part of a 20-year plan to transform the Port of Liverpool, would be more efficient and better for the environment as it would take large amounts of freight off the UK road and rail networks.

Port Projects Awarded $62 Million in TIGER III Infrastructure Grants; Critical importance of connective infrastructure to America’s seaports recognized. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that 46 transportation projects in 33 states and Puerto Rico will receive a total of $511 million from the third round of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s popular TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants program. The Department of Transportation received 848 project applications requesting a total of $14.29 billion.

The long-term growth in the transport sector will shortly become unsustainable due to oil price increases forecast to occur in the next few years. These are amongst the conclusions of an important report by energy analysts Douglas-Westwood. Oil price rises due to concerns over a possible war in the Middle East are, according to the report authors, nothing compared to what is ultimately in prospect. The World Oil Supply Report states that global oil reserves are being drawn down at an unprecedented rate and even assuming no growth in demand it is likely that that by 2010 oil supply will begin to be constrained by global production capacity and oil will permanently cease to be abundant. Supply and demand will be forced to balance – but at a price.