LINER TRAINS FORGE AHEAD
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BOTH in volume and standard of service liner trains are proving their worth to transport users. That was the claim of Mr. S. E. Raymond. chairman, British Railways Board, when addressing the National Traders' Traffic Association at their annual luncheon in London. Mr. Raymond reported that since the 10,000 th container was delivered by liner train on July 17 this year the current figure was now approaching 20,000 with a weekly average of 1,000 containers.
Not only could British Railways now say just where every load was white travelling by Freightliner but the standard of service had already attracted back to the railways commodities which they had not moved for 20 to 30 years.
The recent White Paper on transport policy provided the opportunity for a realistic reappraisal of the job which could best be done by rail and by road. There was no need for a lot of regulations, Mr. Raymond contended. What the industry wanted was organized flexibility and with thc great store of knowledge which was available the opportunity was provided to evolve a sensible national transport policy.