First ever 30-wagon train

Freghtliner’s first PowerHaul locomotive 70001 has completed operational trials hauling, the first ever 30-wagon train to and from the Port of Felixstowe.
Following a test run last week, the PowerHaul locomotive today conveyed a train of 60 imported boxes to Freightliner’s terminal in Birmingham before returning later that night with exports.
With higher haulage and acceleration capabilities, the PowerHaul locos are able to increase payloads per train and could remove more than 120 lorries from the UK’s roads for each return trip.
Adam Cunliffe, managing director of Freightliner said: “We currently operate 21 daily services from the Port of Felixstowe, and until developments within the port are completed the number of train slots are limited. By use our new PowerHaul locomotives we are able to increase the capacity available to our customers while improving our carbon footprint.”

http://www.logisticsmanager.com/Articles/12864/First+ever+30-wagon+train.html

Asia-Europe box traffic steadies

Container volume declines on the Asia to Europe trade have stabilised over the last few months, while freight rates in September crept back to last year’s levels.
Figures from the European Liner Affairs Association (ELAA), show that 962,800teu was moved from Asia to Europe, 10% down on October last year.
In September, volumes were also 10% down year-on-year, while in August they were 12% down, figures which represent improvement on the 22% decline experienced over the first six months of the year.
Meanwhile ELAA’s price index for the Asia to Europe trade hit 78 in September, assuming a 2008 average of 100, the index’s highest level this year and compares with March’s figure of 48.

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/indexarticle.htm?artid=1260545071650

Teesport counting the cost

The full extent of job and volume losses at Teesport following the partial closure in the new year of its biggest customer Corus’s plant is still unknown.
A spokeswoman for Teesport owner PD Ports said it would hold talks with Corus following the steel producer’s announcement on 4 December that it planned to mothball Redcar Blast Furnace, Lackenby steelmaking and the South Bank Coke Ovens at the end of January.
However, Corus said it intended to keep open a number of operations, including the Redcar Wharf, Redcar Coke Ovens and some of the power-generating capacity.
In July, PD Ports wrote to workers to tell them it may make up to 120 redundancies because Corus had threatened to close Teesside Cast Products and because of recession-related volume reductions.
The spokeswoman said: "The news is extremely disappointing, but given previous announcements by Corus and the lack of a positive conclusion to discussions with potential offtakers and investors in TCP, it is not especially surprising.
"The 120 job losses quoted in July when Corus announced that part of the Corus TCP site would be mothballed, was prior to the restructuring activity that our business has engaged in over recent months.
"Additionally, the growth in areas such as the container handling operations at Teesport will help us mitigate some of the impact on our employees. But further work needs to be concluded.
"Until we receive more definitive information from Corus on the implications of this closure, it is too early to understand the level of impact the announcement will have on PD Ports, but this is not good news."
Last week, Teesport announced it had handled more than 100,000 containers in a single year for the first time.
It had also recently announced a new contract with shipper Taylors of Harrogate to handle more than 1,000 containers of imported tea and coffee a year, and Taiwanese container line Evergreen has started to deliver containers to Teesport following the opening of a Tesco’s distribution centre there.
In July, PD Ports welcomed UK government approval for it to build a woodfuelled power station at Teesport, which would bring in an extra 2m tonnes of traffic when it opened in 2012.
Last month, it was confirmed PD Ports had been sold by Babcock and Brown Infrastructure to Brookfield Asset Management.

MSC UK gets AEO status

I hope that this next press release doesn't mean that we will get more misdeclared units. Something needs to be done to stop boxes coming to us with wrong weights on them before somebody gets hurt. Nobody wants another MSC Napoli or an IMV turning over because the front box has too much weigh in it. I am not pointing the finger at MSC but the whole industry.


MSC’s UK business has been approved by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO).
Recognition under the EU scheme enables businesses to have their consignments fast-tracked through customs’ controls and if a consignment is selected for examination it will receive priority over non-AEOs.
AEO’s get a lower “risk score”, which will be incorporated into HRMC's risk management systems and used to determine the frequency of customs physical and documentary checks.
AEOs are also allowed to omit certain data elements from pre-arrival and pre-departure summary declarations.
A spokesperson for HMRC said: “The AEO scheme is the way forward for businesses involved in the international supply chain.
“It shows they are committed to raising their security and safety standards, which will be of benefit to themselves, their business partners and assists in the development of their long-term relationship with HMRC."
To achieve AEO status, businesses have to prove they are compliant, safe and secure and are subject to an audit run by customs.
AEO is recognised across the whole EU and it is hoped that mutual recognition of similar systems, across other third countries, will take place in the future.

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/news/msc-uk-gets-aeo-status/20017728708.htm

Dubai World's woes will not affect Rotterdam Gateway

Rotterdam Port Authority is convinced DP World’s investment in the Rotterdam World Gateway container terminal on Maasvlakte Two will go ahead, despite its parent company’s restructuring.
The port authority said that while DP World was a subsidiary of Dubai World, this did not mean that it was involved in its parent’s problems.
In addition, with a share of 30%, DP World is just one of five companies that together form Rotterdam World Gateway, MOL, Hyundai, APL and CMA CGM being the others.
“The Port of Rotterdam Authority has very regular contact with all the container companies that are active in Rotterdam, during which the consequences of the economic crisis are a recurring topic of conversation,” it said.
It added that the APM Terminals facility, which is also being built on Maasvlakte Two, and the 4m teu Rotterdam World Gateway were sticking to the current schedule.
This means that Rotterdam World Gateway will start operation of its terminal in 2013, and APM Terminals in 2014.
At the end of last month, the government of Dubai, acting through the Supreme Fiscal Committee (SFC), authorised the Dubai Financial Support Fund to spearhead the restructure of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World.
Dubai World intended to ask all providers of financing to allow a freezing of repayments and extend maturities until at least 30 May 2010.
However, DP World said the government of Dubai had confirmed that DP World and its debt were not included in the restructuring process for Dubai World.

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/indexarticle.htm?artid=20017728060

Ballot result on company pay offer of 1%

For 16
Against 1599

Teesport container volumes break annual record

PD Ports’ Teesport facility has handled over 100,000 containers in a year for the first time in its history.
The north-east UK port reached the milestone last month and Frans Calje, PD Ports’ MD for unitised traffic, said: “We are delighted that in these difficult economic times our efforts have clearly out-performed the market.
“We are really proud of what has been achieved at Teesport this year. We expect to reach this benchmark earlier each year as we move forward.”
Over the last few months, PD Ports has unveiled new container contract wins.
It announced a contract with shipper Taylors of Harrogate, to handle more than 1,000 containers of imported tea and coffee a year, and Taiwanese box carrier Evergreen started to deliver containers to Teesport following the opening of Tesco’s distribution centre.

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/newsarticle.htm?artid=20017727112