ASCIANO, the parent company of one of Australia's largest railfreight operators Pacific National (PN), confirmed on July 1 that it has been approached by Canada's Brookfield Asset Management in a $A 8.8bn ($US 6.8bn) takeover bid.

DOWNER EDI announced on February 4 that it has secured a 10-year contract worth around $A 1bn ($US 782m) to maintain more than 300 locomotives for Pacific National, Australia's largest private railfreight operator.

PACIFIC National, Australia, has taken delivery of the first two of seven multi-engine N-ViroMotive locomotives from National Railway Equipment Company (NREC), United States.

CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Company, China, has completed a batch of five SDA2 diesel locomotives, which will be used by Pacific National (PN), Australia, on the 1067mm-gauge heavy-haul coal network in central Queensland.

ANNOUNCING financial and operating results for the first half of its 2013-2014 financial year, Australian rail and port operator Asciano, the parent company of the PN Coal and PN Rail freight businesses, says it will undertake a major restructuring and reintegration of these two divisions from July 1.