COOL RECEPTION FOR DR. BEECHING'S LINER TRAINS PLEA
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
nR. RICHARD BEECHING, chairI-, man of the British Railways Board, took the fight over Liner Trains (The Commercial Motor, last week) into the National Union of Railwaymen's camp this week. The union men listened in silence as he said it was time the differences between the Board and the union were brought into the open.
In assessing the potential traffic, the railways had assumed that they, could attract it from all sources if they not only collected and delivered themselves. but also gave existing carriers access to their depots.
"Now here is the rub ", Dr. Beeching went on. "At least half the traffic of possible interest to us is at present carried by road hauliers. If we exclude them from our terminals, and so prevent them from collaborating with us, we shall force them into more vigorous competition with us • and shall get little, if any, of one-half the total traffic available. What is more, we shall undermine the rates structure for all the traffic."
Dr. Beeching said that it was proposed to develop a network of 15 services. If the traffic forecasts were right the best of the services would make a good contribution to system costs but the poorest Would show very little margin. If they cut their traffic estimates in half, as they would have to do if private hauliers were refused admittance to the depots (the N.U.R. want this) then the best of the Liner Train services became poor and the poorest of them would be ruled out altogether.
"Then, instead of being able to provide a network of Liner Train services as a good alternative to road trunking, we shall be limited to just a few struggling services ", he added.
Dr. Beeching said that there would be contraction of the railway cartage staff even if Liner Trains were not introduced, because there was already a steady fall in the amount of general merchandise traffic going by rail. Whether the introduction of Liner Trains would slow -ur accelerate the rundown of cartage staff would depend on how much of the traffic they could attract. But it was pretty clear that the admission of road hauliers to depots would not make the position worse because, for the main part, they would bring in traffic which they should not otherwise get at all. He added that the Board was willing to consider ways of safeguarding the earnings of staff affected.
When he came to thank Dr. Beeching for his speech, Mr. Sidney Greene, N.U.R. general secretary, seemed unconvinced by the arguments. He said Dr. Beeching wanted the Liner Trains or his terms and the N.U.R. wanted them or theirs. He also revealed that he had seer Dr. Beeching last Friday about a numbei of things. feel that a lot of the seed! I threw fell on stony soil ", he said. "I get the impression we are in the middlc of the Sahara."
But he promised that the N.U.R. wank consider what Dr. Beeching had had say. The next move is likely to be formal meeting between the N.U.R. negotiating -committee and the Railway! Board.
PICKFORDS BUY WESTFIELD TEE entire share capital of Westfield I.Transport Ltd. of Mansfield, Notts, has been acquired by Pickfords Ltd Westfield has a fleet of 26 vehicles and cranes and is particularly noted for it special machinery removals at home and overseas.
Pickfords state that Westfield will con. tinue and expand operations under it own name, with continuity of manage ment and Mr. T. A. Eason will remaim with the company as an active director Mr. J. N. Dnmunond, chief heavy haul. age manager and a Pickfords director and Mr. C. P. Gormley, Pickfords' chiei accountant, have been appointed to the Westfield board.