Transport Infrastructure

The railroad fuel surcharges on U.S. grain shipment have more than doubled in the last year. This has impacted the entire farm belt, increasing transportation costs at a time when many farmers are also struggling with higher production costs. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, the average fuel surcharge on grain shipments rose to 48 cents per mile for rail cars in the second?week of September. This is a?153% increase compared to the weighted averaging rate a year ago. Surcharges are used by railroads to recover the majority of fuel costs and add them to long-haul rates. According to...

Amazon announced on Sunday that it was suspending operations with Miami's 21 Air, the cargo airline that operated the Amazon branded plane that crashed in Miami and killed?five people. Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel stated in a statement to customers that "after the tragic 'incident' last weekend, we have spent time supporting and reviewing the investigation, and we've made the decision to pause operations with 21 Air as the operator of Flight. We'll continue to work with everyone involved in the investigation. Last week, an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crashed after it overran the runway at Miami International Airport. Prime...

Africa could transform itself as global competition increases for essential minerals. Although the continent has a large amount of energy transition metals like copper, manganese and cobalt but it is still far from its full potential. According to the Brookings Institution, Africa's share in global mineral revenue is only 10%, even though it has 30% of the world’s reserves. It's possible that there are still more hidden riches underground. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. think tank, only 10% of global exploration will be focused on the continent by 2024. As Africa moves to the...

A Democratic lawmaker called for a U.S. agency responsible for auto safety to take action against misuse of Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Systems, citing videos that appeared to show drivers sleeping or disengaged. In a letter sent to Sean Duffy, the U.S. Transportation secretary, Illinois Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi cited a report by NBC News that identified 43 videos of individuals sleeping in the driving seat of Teslas moving, including 17 of them this year. Krishnamoorthi, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's director of safety policy and research, said that "the agency must ensure that manufacturers provide adequate safeguards for...

The?U.S. Postal Service was urged by lawmakers to halt the work on new mail-in voting rules. Postal Service ordered the halt to "work" on new rules for mail-in voting, Friday. In a letter to the USPS, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan and six other Democrats on the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee wrote: "The Postal Service’s continued illegal efforts to transform itself into an electoral administration agency under the direction of President Trump risk disenfranchising American voters and threatening the integrity of the upcoming elections." On Thursday night, the Trump administration requested that the Supreme Court allow it...

The Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced on Thursday that his government will invest C$4.7 billion ($3.41billion) in Canada to build and maintain VIA Rail's passenger cars. This is the first time the company has built its cars domestically in 40 years. For the first time since four decades, VIA passenger cars will be assembled and produced in Canada. Cars that were previously built in the United States are now being built here in Thunder Bay by Alstom Canada," Carney said at a news conference in Thunder Bay. Carney stated that the investment will support 313 new-generation cars in Ontario and...

The French Ministry of Transport, Philippe Tabarot, announced that France had begun testing two cars in order to assess Tesla's FSD (advanced driver assistance system). This could be a major step towards Europe's approval of Elon Musk’s autonomous driving technology. The Netherlands Road Authority RDW approved Tesla’s Full Self Driving System for use on Dutch highways on a proviso basis in April. This prompted Belgium, Denmark and Estonia to follow suit in anticipation of a bloc wide vote on the plan that could happen as soon as next month. FSD is an assistance system for drivers that allows them to...

Federal Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday that it is proposing special flight regulations near Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida. The agency cited'security concerns regarding u.s. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. The FAA proposes restrictions on flights within a radius of one nautical mile and up to 2,080 feet around Palm Beach, a residence located near the airport. FAA: The U.S. Secret Service requested the restrictions, citing negative threat intelligence. They said that the measures would "greatly enhance the ability to mitigate the persistent risk posed by unmanned aircraft and unauthorized aircraft systems." FAA places expanded restrictions on travel...

Tennessee plans to name Nashville International Airport after country music icon Dolly Parton. The singer passed away in the 'country music capital' earlier this week at age 80. After Parton's death, fans launched a social media campaign to change the name of the airport. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee discussed the change with Parton's staff this week, according?to statements from the airport and Lee’s office. Lee stated in the statement that "Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life will forever be woven into the fabric of our State." Nashville International Airport is named after 'our favorite daughter' Dolly Parton, who has left a legacy...

The Trump administration appealed on Friday a court order that required it to pay for the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project?after losing their latest bid to halt funding for 'the New York - New Jersey Rail Link. The project will build a new commuter train tunnel between Manhattan and New Jersey, and repair an old tunnel that is used daily by over 200,000 passengers and 425 trains. The funding dispute is a new clash between the Trump administration and the congressional Democrats on one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country. Trump has stated that he is against the...

On Tuesday, the?head of Federal Aviation Administration announced that an antenna had been relocated and procedures changed after a military helicopter carrying President Donald Trump came too close to a passenger jet departing Reagan Washington National Airport. The incident on August 4 raised serious concerns about the reason why the passenger plane was allowed to leave while Marine One was near, at a time commercial traffic would normally be halted. After an aviation event, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford assured reporters that?the issue of communication had been resolved. The National Transportation Safety Board investigates the incident. After a crash in January...

Texas Governor Greg Abbott?on Friday requested a federal probe into airport facilities to determine if ritual washing was performed before islamic prayers. A Muslim advocacy group referred to this as an "anti-Muslim" political stunt. Abbott, in a letter sent to the Department of Justice urging it to review immediately the ablution stations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFWIA) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (GWIA), criticized them for being discriminatory. Abbott's office stated that because airports receive federal funding, they are required to adhere to a number of conditions. This includes complying with all applicable laws against discrimination. Before daily prayers,...

Two industry sources reported on Wednesday that a fuel storage tank caught fire at the Novorossiysk Fuel Terminal during an overnight drone attack?on Russia's Black Sea port city?of Novorossiysk. Telegram Mayor Andrei Kravchenko said that drone debris had fallen on several business premises and near a residence in Novorossiysk. The Novorossiysk Fuel Oil Terminal?did not immediately respond to an inquiry for comment about the?fire? or its impact. Sources claim that a tank at the terminal containing 'oil products' with a volume of approximately '37,000 cubic meters? caught fire. Sources said that repeated Ukrainian drone strikes have caused increased disruptions to...

Air 'Tanzania announced on Friday that it will re-start flights between?Dar es salaam, and Moscow on the 7th of September. This comes after announcing a suspension for a limited time starting on September 4. The airline announced on Facebook that the decision was made after a 'routine risk assessment of the operating conditions along the route.' It did not provide any?details as to why the decision was taken to resume flights. Flightradar24's data shows that Moscow airports were among the most disrupted in recent weeks due to drone attacks. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned insurance companies and airlines...

?Ukraine has urged ICAO to ask its member countries to ban all operations in russian airspace. This comes a day after the President Volodymyr?Zelenskiy?warned he it was "becoming totally unsafe". Top Ukrainian officials announced on Tuesday that the country will intensify its retaliation for Russia's increased strikes against Kyiv. The city has been on continuous alert since seven days, and it has also suffered attacks on civilian infrastructure. Ukraine will only target Russian military installations and not threaten civil aircraft,?Zelenskiy said, but he stressed that "the growing number of Ukrainian drones" in Russian skies should be taken into consideration. Mykola...

The analytical department of Ukraine's largest farmer's union UAC warned on Tuesday that Ukrainian exporters and producers should not rely on deep-water port operations resuming any time soon, but instead focus on other options. In recent months, Russia increased the intensity and number of drone strikes it conducts on Black Sea port infrastructure, particularly in the Odesa area. This effectively blocks a route which used to handle 90 percent of Ukraine's exported goods. This forced Ukraine to divert cargoes via the Danube River ports and rail to its western border. Transport via alternate routes can cost up to $50 more...

Overnight, Russia has attacked Ukraine's port infrastructure as well as a border crossing to Romania in the southern Black Sea region of Odesa. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the strike "deliberately destroyed a border crossing on the border with Romania as well as export equipment." Ukraine's emergency services said that the attack also targeted energy infrastructure and caused a fire in a residential building where one person was injured, without giving any further details. Russia has increased the number of drone strikes and the intensity of those strikes in recent months on the export infrastructure of the Odesa...

A shipper reported on Monday that the queue of vessels waiting to enter?the?Danube to reach Ukraine's river ports?has increased to around 80 in the last five days. However, the number allowed to pass through the route has also been increasing. Russian attacks on Ukraine have effectively blocked the main Black Sea ports that handled 90% of Ukraine's grain exports. Kyiv has been forced to divert cargo via Danube river -ports which have far less capacity. Last week, shipping agencies reported an increasing backlog at Sulina Canal's entrance. This is the only Danube canal deep enough to allow vessels to travel...

On 'Monday,'?state media reported that Russian investigators had dropped the murder charges against prominent businessman Ilya Traber. Traber is a 75-year-old businessman who has invested heavily in St Petersburg's ports and logistics. Russian media reported that he was arrested in June for the fatal shooting of Alexander Petrov in 2020. On?Monday, state-run agencies?TASS? and RIA?reported that all charges?against Traber?had been dropped and his investigation closed. TASS reported that he had been released from his pre-trial custody due to health reasons. The reports were not confirmed by any official sources. Traber rose to prominence after the fall of the Soviet Union...

Three traders reported that Caspian CPC blend oil exports were 'planned at 1.5m barrels per day for September. This is a steady decrease from the 1.6m bpd of?August due to maintenance?at?the Karachaganak Oilfield. Weather-related disruptions, and drone strikes in Black Sea could affect actual CPC Blend oil loads next month. About 2% of global oil is supplied by the CPC pipeline, which transports Kazakhstani crude to a terminal near the Black Sea port in Russia, Novorossiysk. Shipowners prefer the CPC terminal to the Novorossiysk Sheskharis Terminal, according to traders, following Ukraine's pledge to stop?strikes against non-Russian ships leaving Black Sea...

Traders and analysts said that up to 70 vessels were waiting for access to Ukrainian ports in order to load grain for export. This is due to the lack of pilots, and other cargoes being given priority. After Russian attacks blocked Ukraine's Black Sea port, which handled 90% of its grain exports before, some shipments have been rerouted to Danube riverports which have a much smaller capacity. Exports are slowed by the fact that grain cargoes compete for access to ports with other shipments of a higher priority, such as fuel. Air raid alerts that force all port operations to...

Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, said that the German government will soon reveal who is responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport earlier this month. Merz, speaking at a summit of the coalition, said that his government "works closely with security authorities to this end, and will soon set out this issue?and make a comment about it." Local?media cite security sources that suspect Russian intelligence of involvement in the attempted attack. Berlin, however, has not made direct accusations. A drone with explosives was discovered on August 4 near an Antonov cargo plane used for military supplies. Investigators suspect...

Three sources said that a train owned by Russian aluminium producer?Rusal, derailed over the weekend in Guinea's Dubreka Prefecture, halting exports of alumina and slowing production. Two company officials reported that the train carrying alumina fell off the track near Kagbelen, on Saturday evening. The incident injured four people and forced the suspension of rail traffic. Senior Friguia refinery officials said that alumina production continued at a slower pace after the accident but they could not quantify its impact. Exports are at a standstill. "A team has been dispatched on the site to assess and repair the situation," said the...

The Russian state was given the authority by President Vladimir Putin to take control of critical infrastructure facilities that are deemed to have been 'poorly protected' from Ukrainian drone attacks and other threats. A presidential decree outlines the special powers that will allow for temporary management of these facilities. This is at a time where?Ukraine is intensifying drone attacks against oil refineries and retail warehouses. According to the decree, the state can take over 'physical and financial assets' and formal ownership rights when the entity responsible for these 'facilities is judged to be negligent in protecting them and too slow...