Rail Freight Lines

The McNulty report, published in early May, sets out the direction of travel for reducing the cost, and increasing the efficiency of, the UK rail network.

HS2 – a missed opportunity for freight

First GBRf will become the first freight operator to regularly move renewable biomass material on the rail network, following a new multi-million pound contract with Drax Power Limited.

One of the very few silver linings to the economic cloud that currently hangs over the freight sector is the breathing space it has created.

The manifesto launched in September by RFG and the Rail Freight Operators Association was directed at the political parties who may form a government after next year's general election.

The House of Lords' European Committee produced a hard-hitting report on 2nd June giving strong support for full liberalization of the European rail freight market, whilst being critical at the slow progress of implementing legislation started in 1994 and, in theory at least, completed in 2001 as the First Railway Package.

The announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon MP, on 15th January to develop a high-speed rail line between London and Scotland provides opportunities for freight as well as passengers.

It is time for the British Government to be proactive in Europe? The UK rail industry has much to gain from a liberalised rail freight market across Europe; EWS Railway, Freightliner and Arriva are all operating in other member states, several UKbased leasing companies are also active in both the traction and wagon leasing markets, and of course there are many consultancies working on various issues both with the Commission and in other member states.

New forecasts for demand for rail freight to 2015 and 2030 have been published by the Rail Freight Group and Freight Transport Association. The forecasts show a 30% increase in tonne km from 2006 to 2015 and more than doubling by 2030. However, the growth in intermodal traffic is forecast to be very much higher: more than doubling by 2015 and a five-fold increase by 2030. This reflects continuing expansion of trade from continental Europe and further afield, plus a significant use of rail to and from new railconnected warehouses.