Prescott plans to support rail
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• Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott confirmed his longterm aim to transfer more freight from road to rail last week when he opened a new railfreight terminal designed to replace a million truck journeys a year.
At 50 acres, I Jams Hall terminal near Coleshill, Warks becomes Britain's biggest. Prescott predicted that it would initially save some 100,000 longdistance truck journeys from the Midlands to the Continent every year. By 2006 the terminal is expected to be sending 300,000 container units overseas, representing a million truck journeys.
A daily train service from Hams Hall to Milan will soon be increased to twice-daily runs; it will be followed by services to a number of Continental destinations. Companies already committed to using the terminal, which is operated by US company Parsec using trains run by Railfreight Distribution, include drinks distributor Tradeteam, Hays Express, Ponsonby IIighcare and Sheertruck International.