Euro tariffs 'hold back UK road/rail'
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A sharp rise in European rail tariffs from next year will threaten the future development of combined road/rail transport in the UK, warns the Road Haulage Association. RHA director-general Bryan Colley says an increase of around 10% is planned across Europe—he is urging Transport Minister John Watts to highlight the danger to fellow EU states.
"For combined transport to be of any value to the UK it has to use Continental railways to make it viable," says Colley. "This is a price hike which flies in the face of competition in the freight market." The price rise will have damaging implications for Channel Tunnel freight traffic and UK rail privatisation as well as combined transport, which is designed to encourage greater use of rail for goods traffic.
The RHA owns 39% of the equity in the combined transport venture CTL.