Wolffkran Wraps 4.5-Year Alpine Crane Mission at Grimsel Pass

12 Sep 2025 CW Team

Wolffkran has successfully concluded a challenging four-and-a-half-year crane deployment at Switzerland’s Grimsel Pass, where its largest luffing cranes supported construction of the new Spitallamm Dam. The project required two nearly 100-metre-tall WOLFF cranes, including the WOLFF 1250 B, which lifted around 500,000 tonnes of concrete across 32,000 operations.

To withstand the harsh Alpine conditions, Wolffkran developed the XXL TV 60 tower element with a six-metre side length, enabling the cranes to operate freestanding on pile foundations weighing over 1,500 tonnes. Crews worked in intense seasonal cycles, manning the cranes round-the-clock from May to October each year. The equipment was also fitted with a special over-wintering system to ensure reliability after heavy snowfalls and storms.

By June 2025, dismantling was completed and 1,281 tonnes of crane components were transported down to the valley in more than 60 oversized truck journeys. The cranes have now been redeployed to Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium project in Qiddiya, where they will again be used in exposed conditions. Wolffkran’s Managing Director, Ralph Stump, described the Grimsel project as a milestone that showcased both the resilience of the company’s technology and the dedication of its team.

Infrastructure Urban

03 Oct 2025

Indian REITs Association Joins Global REIT Alliance

The Indian REITs Association (IRA) has become a member of the Global REIT Alliance, a coalition representing the global Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) sector. The alliance, launched at the European Public Real Estate Association’s 2025 ReThink conference in Stockholm, aims to promote cross-border cooperation, policy dialogue, and market standardisation for the growth of REITs as an investment asset class.The Global REIT Alliance, which includes members from 24 countries, focuses on promoting global awareness of securitised real estate, supporting sustainable investment, providing indust..

Vande Bharat May Soon Connect Chennai and Rameswaram

Southern Railway plans to introduce a Vande Bharat Express between Chennai and Rameswaram following the completion of electrification on the 53-km Ramanathapuram–Rameswaram section.A proposal has been submitted to the Railway Board to operate the new daytime service from either Chennai Egmore or Tambaram, aiming to ease congestion on existing overnight trains along the 600–660 km route.Officials noted that while the section is cleared for electric locomotives, a 220-metre gap near Uchipuli will undergo trials before the Vande Bharat is introduced. The final route will consider travel time,..

RITES Partners with Etihad Rail to Boost Infrastructure Collaboration

RITES, a leading transport infrastructure consultancy and engineering firm, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UAE-based Etihad Rail to enhance business collaboration with its subsidiary, National Infrastructure Construction Company (NICC).The partnership aims to combine RITES’ five decades of expertise in consultancy, transport infrastructure, and engineering with NICC’s execution capabilities, creating synergies for infrastructure projects across the UAE and other regions.The MoU was signed by HE Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, and Rahul Mithal, Chairman and Managing Di..