AUSTRALIA’s deputy prime minister and minister for infrastructure and transport Mr Barnaby Joyce attended a ceremony at Tomingley West, New South Wales, on January 15 to mark the delivery of the first batch of rails for the $A 9.3bn ($US 7.4bn) Melbourne - Brisbane Inland Rail project.

Deregulation of the US rail freight industry in the 1980s heralded a remarkable turnaround for the country’s secondary railways after years of seemingly-terminal decline. American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association president Linda Darr tells Keith Barrow how these vibrant and largely locally-owned businesses are investing in their assets to ensure they remain competitive.

GENESEE & Wyoming (G&W) can trace its origins back to 1899 when it acquired a 22.5km line in New York state serving a rock salt mine. The 1980 Staggers railway deregulation act triggered the start of a series of short line acquisitions as the struggling Class 1 railways started to rationalise their networks.

THE Australian subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming (G&W), United States, has completed the acquisition of Glencore Rail (GRail) for $A 1.14bn ($US 846m) and issued a 49% equity stake in Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA) to funds and clients managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.

SHAREHOLDERS of Providence & Worcester Railroad (P&W) have voted to approve the proposed acquisition of the railway by Genesee & Wyoming (GWI).

With lacklustre domestic economic growth and turmoil in the commodities sector resulting in a difficult year for Australian railfreight, Mark Carter reviews the current issues and looks at the key indicators that will shape the industry in 2016 and beyond.

GENESEE & Wyoming (G&W) confirmed on March 25 that it has completed the £492m acquisition of approximately 94% of Freightliner Group, Britain, from Arcapita and other shareholders, plus approximately £19m of net debt and capitalised leases.

GENESEE & Wyoming (G&W) announced on February 24 that it has agreed to acquire a 95% stake in Britain's Freightliner Group from Arcapita and other shareholders for $US 755m in cash.

GENESEE & Wyoming (GWI) announced on November 19 that it has signed an agreement with Massachusetts-based Pinsly Railroad to acquire railways in its Arkansas Division for $US 40m in cash, subject to adjustments for final working capital.

GENESEE & Wyoming's newest rail subsidiary, the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCP&E) began operations on June 1, 2014 after Canadian Pacific (CP) completed the sale of the line, the western stretch of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (DM&E).