AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Chunnel freight set to soar

29th November 2007
Page 22
Page 22, 29th November 2007 — Chunnel freight set to soar
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

English, Welsh & Scottish Railways predicts that rail freight through the

Channel Tunnel will treble within three years. David Harris reports.

ENGLISH, WELSH & Scottish Railways (EWS) expects the amount of rail freight carried through the Channel Tunnel to treble within three years, helped by the scrapping of the minimum usage charge and Eurotunnefs decision to slash rail freight rates by half( Eurotunnel cuts freight-train tolls in half, CM I November).

Rail freight carried through the Chunnel has fallen steadily over the past decade, from three million tonnes in 1997 to one million .onnes this year.

But EWS expects its services alone to be carrying more than :hree million tonnes by 2009.

The reversal of the fall in rail :reight will also be helped by he ongoing liberalisation of European railways, which means 'hat locomotives no longer have to changed at national borders, EWS says its initial plans nclude regular services between 3aventry and Brussels, starting in [anuary: between Manchester and Duisberg,starting in February;and )etween Manchester and Milan, tarting in March. • EWS is buying the intermodal rail freight terminal at Grangemouth from TDG to improve its intermodal connections from Scotland to mainland Europe.

EWS commercial director David Kerr says: 'Substantial volumes of goods that can be moved by rail are currently moved by road and short sea ferries. This new capability vill let Scottish manufacturers, retailers and transport operators bypass UK pod congestion."


comments powered by Disqus