36-hour kangaroo hop to Italy
Page 21
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• By using TIR semi-trailers of kangaroo type, designed for transport by rail on the special wagons employed for this purpose by the French and Italian railways, a Southampton-based haulage company is in the process of expanding its current scheduled UK-Italy groupage service by 100 per cent.
The company is Jameson (Europa) Ltd, a member of the United Transport Group, operating in conjunction with Italmondo of Milan. The Italian haulier forwards consignments arriving at Milan in Jameson trailers while Jameson does the same in the UK for goods reaching Southampton, via Townsend Thoresen ferry from Le Havre in Italmondo's trailers.
Jameson started its road groupage service to Italy for general dry freight in 1964 and at present dispatches one trailer by road every day. Transit time between Le Havre and Milan by kangaroo rail service is about 1-1 days.
To launch its supplementary road /rail groupage service, Jameson has bought six 12-metre TIR kangaroo trailers from Merriworth (Engineering) Ltd, Erith, Kent. The new trailers have Merriworth's high-articulation tandem-axle bogie. which makes them suitable for rolling onto the earlier type of kangaroo wagon as well as onto the later type. Standard equipment includes lifting lugs on the trailer frame so that the trailers can be taken on and off rail by gantry crane.