Intermodal Tiphook
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• Tiphook plans to launch its contender in the inter-modal market next April, when the rail wagon it has developed to take full-sized road trailers is offered for rental.
Chairman Robert Montague says the wagon is currently on trial with some oil companies, British Rail and a number of Tiphook's existing industrial customers.
The new wagon is built to operate on some of British Rail's network. Montague expects to offer the wagon for rental on similar terms to Tiphook's other rail wagons, and predicts that the market for rental rail wagons will be boosted next February by the introduction of British Rail and SNCF's new rail ferry.
Tiphook's new intermodal wagon was developed in close co-operation with British Rail. The bed of the wagon, which is moved by hydraulics, is designed to swivel out to allow the loading of the road-going trailer. Montague claims that loading takes between 10 and 30 minutes and can be undertaken by a single operative.
Like the Trailer Train wagon launched by Railfreight last month, the Tiphook wagon needs only a hard standing area alongside the track for loading and unloading. Montague hopes that the Tiphook intermodal wagon will be accepted as a standard container. The wagon will be built to take 12m trailers, though the trailers will have to be altered slightly to deal with BR's network.
"Europe provides us with an expanding market for specialised rental equipment that will speed up the integration of different modes of transport," says Montague. "This will bring tremendous benefits for everyone involved, but we must be ready to meet the demands of this new market."
Interim profits at Tiphook are up 90% to 22.8m on turnover up 82% to 228.8m. Chairman Robert Montague reports stronger trading in trailer and container rental.