1. Australia Rio Tino – has let contract to double track 80 Km of track from Western Junction to Cape Lambert on the Deepdale route. Completion date is expected to be Feb 2012 which includes building a 200 person RR construction camp. Why can’t that completion speed be done in this country?
This is part of a US 17B project to increase capacity from 80M tonnes to 185M tonnes, 2014 completion of port capacity as well.
2. Australia — UGL supply will provide 7 C44ACi s to a resource company in NSW. UGL also will supply 13 GE ECO locomotives for Pilbara Iron Ore operation of Rio Tinto. RT total locos will be 150 UGL and GE locos.
3. Poland - UK: DBS announces new once a week freight service between Wroclaw Poland and Barking freight liner terminal UK (using HS1 in UK). Service to start about Nov 8 ? Due to my lack of understanding of the terminology it may be that this service is some kind of modified double stack operation? If so would be a first for UK. and maybe for this many countries in EU? Anyone with more info?
No, nothing like doublestacked containers. A more apt comparison would be like going from old Plate “B” boxcars to modern “Exceeds Plate C” dimensions. The UK is cursed by being first with extremely tight clearances, which are being enlarged with painful slowness, and at large expense. HS1 is the highspeed line from the Channel Tunnel to London. This line was built with Continental clearances which allow larger freight cars, but not nearly doublestacks. Barking is on the north side of the Thames River in the now Suburban part of London.
Beaulieu: Containers being carried are “European-sized curtain - sided swap bodies " ( whew ). Listed height of 3 Meters inside. Two stacked together 6 Meters ? that would be about 19’2” ? That certaiinly is close to US double stacks in well cars? Wonder what European well car bottoms above rail are ? All in all is it confusing ? What are the heights of international containers and US domestic containers?
4. UK Virgin west coast – Operational authority extended 8 months to Dec 8, 2012. Believe that is a bridge authority to permit continuity to new operational authority starting Dec 8, 2012. Stats look good. Carried 14M passenger in 2004 and 30M this year ( no definition of this year ). Is adding 106 new carriages for a 40% increase in capacity. That will add 28,000 seats ( all coach ) per day or more than 10M per year.
Guess that would make Amtrak envious?
No, they aren’t being stacked. Just a single level. On most British lines the only way to handle a "Continental sized Swapbody was in a well car. On HS1 they can be carried on a more common flat car, that is a big advantage. The only place in Europe where you could operate doublestacks is in the Netherlands on the Havenlijn (Port Line) and the Betuwe Route. But until the Germans decide to follow suit, the first bridge you encounter in Germany will stop you ( a little over 2km into Germany).
Containers are 9’ 6" high (most common size).
BTW you can’t stack a Swapbody, they aren’t structurally strong enough, even if you have the clearance.
5. Australia – Freight line thru Sydney is approved to speed up freight on line used for passenger service.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/northern-sydney-freight-upgrade-agreed.html
Clarification, what is being stacked are two Europallets within the Swapbodies, not two swapbodies.
6. Spain - UK: A new 50 Hr transit tiime weekly container service from Valencia Spain – Barking Essex UK. has started carrying fruit and vegetables. These are 45 ft refrigerated containers sattelite monitored. Service is expected to rise to 5 weekly services as product is available in Spain. Guess this another result of the standard guaging of trackage in Spain.
Not yet this isn’t. Standard gauge hasn’t reached Valencia and won’t for the time being. The containers are transferred to standard gauge cars at Port Bou.
7. Australia - Queensland – A connection between a previously isolated coal hauler and the rest of QR network has entered service under schedule and under cost. This despite record flooding in the area.
8. Switzerland – last 10 of unprotected RR crossings will have protection installed by end of 2014. Now why cannot the US do the same?
http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/low-cost-level-crossing-warning-system.html
When ccompleted sometime this summer will allow single level full 9’6" containers to run on rails.
All this work in a very narrow window.
Southhampton is the second largest container port in the UK, it is not at the Channel Tunnel, that is Dollands Moor.
8 - INDIA . Reported in monday’s WSJ. Severe electric shortage in India due to national producer ( coal India ) not able to mine enough coal.
Then due to a lack of coal wagons ( coal cars ) not enough coal can be imported to idle power plants that do not have any coal on site. also some plants only have enough coal to run just some boilers.
9. SWITZERLAND / ITALY – Gotthard tunnel reopened July 02, 2012
Australian derailment of acid carrying cars. Some interesting pictures.
Ah, yes; the Aussies also emphasize great danger–note that “ACID” is written with all capital letters.
Looks to be flooding that washed out the bridge. Shouldn’t they have been running restricted in view of the weather?