29 April 2012,
05:00:00
Etihad Rail studies best practice in rail safety and security
29 April 2012,
05:00:00
UAE: A delegation from Etihad Rail and the
Supreme Committee for Safety & Security has visited several European
countries to examine best practice in rail safety and security. The extensive
trip lasted two months and included stops in Germany, Spain, France and the UK.
In the UK and Spain the group looked at general security procedures, with a
particular interest in freight security. They met representatives from the UK’s
Department of Transport and with RENFE and ADIF in Spain. During their time in
Germany and France the delegation studied how accidents and events are managed
by emergency teams. They also spent time with Deutsche Bahn International to
learn about the implementation of safety standards across Europe. Etihad Rail
has already visited several countries to take advantage of best practice around
the world, with trips to China, Belgium, Canada and the USA taking place last
year. ‘We are dedicated to looking at how similar railway developers and
operators are succeeding around the world ... such that we are able to implement
a railway system ... to the highest level of standards and procedures’, said
Acting CEO Dr Hazem Mobarek.
Products & Technology in Brief
28 April 2012,
05:00:00
Canadian technology firm Itinere is in
discussions with three train operators for the launch of a proprietary 'seat
centric' onboard wireless network enabling passenger infotainment systems
to be connected without cabling. A custom-designed tablet computing platform
could supply digital magazines, television, films and travel information, and
provide real-time communication between passengers and crew. Fhoss Technology
has launched a range of high visibility clothing which incorporates
reflective tape with a powered electroluminescent core for clear visibility in
the dark. A small rechargeable battery carried in a pocket gives 12 h of usage.
Fhoss has also launched the Contego Rail vest, designed to be easily removed if
caught in machinery. UK operator Southern is using Gael's Q-Pulse software to
improve safety reporting efficiency. It avoids the need for double entry
of information because the national safety incident database is informed
automatically.
Metalloinvest to sell rail business to Globaltrans
27 April 2012,
14:58:00
RUSSIA: An agreement for private rail
freight company Globaltrans to buy the Metalloinvesttrans rail activities of
iron ore producer Metalloinvest for US$540m was announced on April 27. The
transaction will be financed from Globaltrans' own funds and credit facilities,
and subject to regulatory approvals is expected to close at the end of May. MIT
handled 44·2 million tonnes in 2011, primarily metallurgical traffic, with
adjusted revenue of US$344m and EBITDA of US$140m. As of December 31 2011 it had
a fleet of 9 202 wagons, of which it owned 8 256. The acquisition includes an
agreement for Globaltrans to handle all Metalloinvest's rail traffic in the
first year, and have first refusal on 60% of its requirements during the
following two years. 'It is increasingly important to have the scale and
resources to maximise efficiency and profitability, and be able to meet the
needs of large cargo owners', said Globaltrans CEO Sergey Maltsev. 'We have made
it clear that we are looking to capitalise on market opportunities such as MIT,
which is a high-quality business that, combined with the service contract with
Metalloinvest, provides a low-risk path to grow our business and consolidate our
position in the market.'
DB and Hamburger Hafen agree intermodal freight restructuring
27 April 2012,
12:31:00
EUROPE: On April 27 Deutsche Bahn and port
and logistics group Hamburger Hafen und Logistik announced an agreement to
restructure their subsidiaries providing intermodal freight services from German
ports. Subject to regulatory approval, DB Schenker Rail is to take over HHLA's
50% stake in TFG Transfracht, which moves containers from Hamburg and Bremen to
destinations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and generated revenues of €250m
in 2011. DB Schenker Rail believes taking full control would enable it to
improve TFG Transfracht's performance and market share. In return, HHLA will
take over DB's 33% stake in Polzug Intermodal, increasing its stake to 86·5%,
and would also take over DB's 35% stake in Praha-based Metrans, giving it
74·5%. HHLA said this unbundling would enable it to align the companies more
closely to needs of maritime shippers, and make greater use of its own inland
terminals, wagons and locomotives. It also plans to intensify co-operation with
Polzug shareholder PKP Cargo, which may increase its stake. The value of the
transactions is not being disclosed.
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