The first phase of a major upgrade of the Chicago - St Louis corridor through the heart of Illinois is complete. And with work continuing to finish the entire project by 2017, the line is considered a bellwether for future improvements to freight corridors that carry passenger services in the United States, as Kevin Smith and Railway Age managing editor Douglas John Bowen discover.
In their rush to extract western Africa's vast mineral wealth, mining companies are revitalising existing, and building new, heavy-haul rail lines. Paul Ash presents a comprehensive round-up of the latest activities in the region.
WITH the signing of a 12-year agreement with Whitehaven Coal, Aurizon (formerly QR National) is preparing to significantly expand its coal operation in New South Wales from July 2014.
THE Czech and Slovak governments are considering plans to merge state-owned railfreight operators CD Cargo and ZSSK Cargo in an effort to improve their financial position and protect them from potential takeover bids from foreign railways.
CANADIAN National (CN) ended 2012 by completing its merger of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway (EJ&E) into its Wisconsin Central (WC) subsidiary.
THE ISRAELI government has approved a Shekels 130m ($US 34m) investment in freight equipment with the aim of increasing railfreight volumes from seven million tonnes to 13.5 million tonnes within five years.
CAMBODIA's Toll Royal Railway (TRR) has begun trial operation of freight services on the newly-rehabilitated 146km section of the Southern Line between Samrong and Sihanoukville Port.
THE supervisory board of German Rail (DB) has extended Dr Rüdiger Grube's contract as CEO of DB until December 2017. Grube, who is 61, has been CEO of DB since May 1 2009 and his contract was due to end on January 1 2013.
BULGARIA's Privatisation and Post Privatisation Control Agency (PPCA) says seven prosepctive bidders have expressed an interest in the privatisation of Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) freight unit BDZ Tovarni Prevozi.
THE first batch out of 240 wagons being supplied by CSR, China, to Etihad Rail has arrived in Abu Dhabi's port of Mina Zayed.
