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 
Rail giant to run truck fleet?
Page 10
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Leading rail-freight operator EWS hasn't ruled out dipping its toe into
haulage. Chris Tindall reports.
EXCLUSIVE
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of rail-freight operator EWS says he will be forced to run a fleet of trucks if he cannot find an operator able to run an efficient service.
"Well put in place the products our customers want us to provide." Keith Heller explains. "I'm not keen to run a set of trucks.But if we can't find a partner to deliver the services we need reliably. I'll run my own trucks. We have loads of experience of how to run an efficient intermodal operation.
Heller adds that proposed trials for 25.25m trucks have "no value" and will establish nothing the industry doesn't already know: "You can come to a view without a trialthere's enough data around.
"If you do the studies and they say it's the right decision, fine. The statistics should be there to see if it's a good idea in the first place, and I don't see the studies being done." Heller wants the government to carry out a cost evaluation on 35tonne axle loads on trains, up from the existing limit of 25 tonnes.
Last week the Department tor Transport told CM to expect Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman to make an announcement on trials of 25.25m trucks by Christmas.
• CM's interview with Keith Heller will be published soon.
christophentindall@rbi.co.uk