1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228 
Operators warn over threat to rail from access cost plan
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
But road freight could receive a boost if the government decides to
implement higher track access charges. Sally Nash Feports.
RAIL-FREIGHT USERS could switch back to road if plans being discussed to double network access charges are accepted by the government.
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has suggested racking up access costs and other fees which could push the current total costs from lOOm to about £200m. Following consultation. the ORR's advice will be presented to transport ministers next February. If accepted. the higher charges could come into effect in 2009.
Rail-freight operator English. Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) is concerned by the proposals. EWS planning director Graham Smith says: "Let's get this clear, this is not about rail v.s. road but about UK transport as many journeys are a roadlrail combination. What this would do
is make transport more expensive and increase congestion."
Ken Russell. development director of Glasgow-based John G Russell Transport. says around 30% of the company's volume is moved by rail so a major increase in the cost of access charges for freight would have "a substantial effect on our business".
He warns: "There is a very fine balance between the cost of road and rail. If access charges go up, that could tip the balance. We are hoping that the government sticks to its position of incremental access charges for freight—if it doesn't then it is sending out mixed messages."
The Freight Transport Association (ETA) says that if prices rise by the amounts being suggested, rail freight users could move back on to the already congested roads.
Companies considering whether to shift some of their traffic to rail would also be put off by the higher charges, says VIA deputy chief executive James Hook ham.
He adds that the FTA will he looking to the government to honour its pledge toencourage the growth of rail-freight traffic.