TARTAN ARROW'S LONDON GLASGOI WENT WITH BR
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A NEW long-term agreement for the operation of company trains came into effect on Monday when 99-year Leases for railway-owned land in London and Glasgow were signed by Mr. Philip H. Shirley, vice-chairman of the British Railways Board, and Mr. John Chester, chairman of Tartan Arrow Service Ltd., express freight road hauliers.
Under the agreement, which is for a minimum of 20 years, BR will provide special trains for Tartan Arrow for the long haul between London and Glasgow.
On five days of each week trains in Tartan Arrow colours and giving a fast overnight service will run in each direction between fully-automated terminals to be built by Tartan Arrow at a cost of more than 1500,000 on sites leased from British Railways at Bridgeton, Glasgow, and Kentish Town, London. Construction will begin at once and the depots, open 24 hours a day, should be operational within a year.
There will be a phased build-up of traffic over the first three years. During the first nine months, while the terminals are under construction. Tartan Arrow will use the existing rail freight services between London and Glasgow. After completion of the terminals the traffic will be carried by exclusive express "company trains ", each capable of carrying a payload of more than 500 tons of freight. Transit time will be half the present journey time by road.
Tartan Arrow was formed as a private
company in December. 1953, and converted into a public company in February, 1964. Early in 1954 the company bought denationalized units of British Road Services and began an express service between London and Glasgow. This still represents the largest single part of the firm's business.
Subsequently Tartan Arrow bought Dean's Transport (Edmonton) Ltd.; Dean's Engineering Co. (Tottenham) Ltd. la subsidiary of Dean's Transport (Edmonton) Ltd.); T. and A. Johnson (Transport) Ltd.; H. Sharp (Transport) Ltd. (a subsidiary of T. and A. Johnson (Transport) Ltd.); Road Service Contracts Ltd.; Gooch's Transport Ltd. (a subsidiary of Road Service Contracts Ltd.); Clayhall Motors Ltd.; RP Haulage Ltd. (a subsidiary of Clayhall Motors Ltd.); and P. and E. Mahoney and Sons Ltd. (a subsidiary of RP Haulage Ltd.).
Except for Dean's Transport all these subsidiary companies have ceased to trade and their former businesses have been merged with that of Tartan Arrow. Dean's Transport specializes in furniture and bulk haulage between London, Liverpool and the north of England: Tartan Arrow expects to take over two or three other transport companies in the near future. At present the group operates a modern fleet of approximately 200 vehicles, with a total carrying capacity of more than 1.000 tons.
The rapid growth of the company is by the increase in profits from ) in 1954 to £93.000 in 1963 and 150 in 1964, the first year of operaafter becoming a public company. share capital is £200.000 and the pal shareholder is Gresham Trust The other main shareholders are 2hester and the executive directors e company.
niliers Ask Minister for Talks
Minister of Transport has been ked to meet all road-haulage unions cuss with them the progress being by the Government in formulating onal transport policy. High on the subjects requested for discussion is osition of road-haulage workers in :w "liner-train era ".
A. Kitson, secretary of the Scottish sercial Motormen's Union, who has for the meeting. said this week that overnrnent's intentions on transport a "notable omission " from the nal Plan. Talks last week with 1 Road Services had been at their ;1. said Mr. Kitson. to discover if lions would co-operate in the trial f the liner trains over an experi1 period when they opened service. firm decisions were taken at the sg, although it is reported that BRS her the unions a guarantee against danc.y during any experimental