Off-road, on-to-rail scheme in W Yorks
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by Karen Miles
BRITISH RAIL and the West Yorkshire County Council have forged links in an attempt to get more freight off the roads and on to rail.
Although the project which is the first of its kind between BR and a major council was only announced on Tuesday, specific discussion between the two bodies has been going on for almost a year.
BR Eastern Region freight manager Gerry Atkinson said in Leeds this week: "British Rail regards it as a great opportunity, through West Yorkshire's outlets, to get to a far bigger world."
He also hinted that in the future this type of discussion would not only be confined to West Yorkshire.
But he said that if BR took away, work from hauliers it would not necessarily be from existing contracts. Any new loads for BR would most likely conic from firms moving into the area.
He also admitted that the improved marketing possibilities for BR would be unlikely to take much effect for a couple of years expanding freight markets is always a long-term venture.
The initiative and production of the joint document from BR and West Yorkshire on Tuesday was a strategic and not a specific beginning, he said.
The document explains how BR and West Yorkshire will push for and encourage wider rail use. This varies from advice in gaining Section 8 grants for company railway investment through to joint talks with the National Coal Board on increased rail carriage of open cast coal. West Yorkshire may be more strict when dealing with planning applications and will favour rail if it is technically possible.
The distribution of the document through West Yorkshire's outlets and if it is abolished next April through the five metropolitan district councils is part of the council's policy to encourage the use of waterways and air as well.
But the aim is not to make enemies of road haulage, a West Yorkshire spokesman said. Hauliers will still play a critical role, but they can benefit from using such services as BR's Speedlink, he said.
BR expects that Speedlink, which competes most closely with road, will increase its tonnage from the present 9in tons a year to 13.5m tons in four years' time.