Rail's on the road
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• British Rail, GKN and City investors have formed a joint company, Charterail, to provide door-to-door distribution using rail for long-distance haulage. Launched on Monday by 'Isransport Minister Roger Freeman, Charterail has been developed from a pilot operation between North Londe and Manchester.
Managing director Robin Gisby says it takes responsibility for consignments, and BR operates as a sub-contractor providing trunking. Charterail has teamed up with Craven Tasker to become UK Licencee for the Road-Railer intermodal system already used in the US, and it has ordered Tiphook Piggyback wagons.
Charterail is talking to haulage and distribution companies with railhead facilities, and it wants to build up a network of railheads, using partners to provide haulage but running its own fleets where needed.
Looking forward to the opening of the Channel Tunnel the company hopes to link with other European Road-Railer licencees and is seeking pan European approval for the Tiphook system.
Welcoming the initiative, Transport Minister Roger Freeman said there was no direct link between this and plans for Speedlink. BR's freight review, with the Government's review of section 8 grants, would be complete in the autumn, he said.