Mercitalia Fast is not coming back

Mercitalia Fast, the high-speed rail freight service launched by the Italian national rail freight company will not be reinstated. The locomotives used by Mercitalia Rail for this service were returned to its passenger counterpart Trenitalia, all part of the Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) Group. The service was interrupted in late 2022, with FS saying it…

Australia’s largest rail freight operator to phase out diesel locos

Aurizon, the largest rail freight operator in Australia, is planning to invest 18.8 million dollars (17.3 million euros) to phase out diesel fuel and embrace renewable energy sources. The project entails pairing “a big battery-pack on wheels” with modified locomotives to operate as a hybrid unit. Half of the investment is covered by a grant…

DB Cargo to get 150 hybrid, lighter locomotives from Siemens

DB Cargo ordered 150 Vectron Dual Mode light locomotives from Siemens Mobility. The new locomotives are several tonnes lighter than the usual Vectron Dual Mode. As DB Cargo mentioned, they can be used “​​on branch lines and sidings with a lower load capacity”. The company stated that this initiative will favour single wagonload traffic in…

Italy might cancel an incentive for rail freight rolling stock

An incentive regarding the acquisition of rail rolling stock in Italy is on the verge of being cancelled, despite the funds being already allocated and having generated huge investments. “We lack certainty about the rules”, Fermerci general manager Giuseppe Rizzi told RailFreight.com. The amount being cut is 70 million euros, and it would be retroactive […]