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Rail freight remains on track for 80% growth
Page 13
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II by Chris Tindall
Despite setbacks including stowaways, Raiitrack falling into administration and the Hatfield rail disaster, rail freight is on track to hit its target of 80% growth over the next decade
At last week's Rail Freight Group annual conference in London The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) reported that strategies such as freight grants and the participation of blue-chip firms such as Tesco, Jewson and Comet have all contributed to a growth in rail ft-eight.
SRA executive director Julia Clarke admitted that the sector has faced major problems but "despite all of them we have made a good recovery since Hatfield. Dr the whole it's a pretty good bounce back."
Clarke cited the growth of the EWS express freight service at the Walsall parcels terminal and rail freight between Felixstowe and Selby as encouraging signs that rail provides a viable alternative to road freight.
She claimed that 480 million lorry miles have been removed from UK roads since the SRA began its rail-freight drive. "I don't think we can evi wipe out the problem of roE congestion," Clarke admitte "but that doesn't mean to s; we cannot provide a railway th avoids congestion."
Philip Mengel, chief exec tive of EWS, said: "Although ti network is constrained by co gestion, there has been a c. growth in rail freight year-o year. If rail freight can take ti weight off the road system it make a significant difference ; we go forward in the cornii decade."
Transport Minister Jol Spellar told the conference th rail freight is high on the gover ment's agenda: 'We have tl world's fourth largest econorr There's no question that the r network has a major role in o economic success—over tl next decade we expect to si significant growth in freig moved by rail."