Ahead of the game
Page 28
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The 44-tonne issue now appears to have been settled: the heavier weight limit will be restricted to lorries serving railheads. This is despite the Lords' Transport Committee recommending that 44 tonnes should be allowed for general use.
The road haulage industry claims that this concession, designed to encourage intermodal operations by compensating road-rail traffic for the extra weight of the container or swap body, is having minimal impact, while UK road hauliers are disadvantaged against their continental counterparts.
But members of the Rail Freight Group are finding that the derogation is assisting them in marketing intermodal services and that without the concession combined transport would be impeded in its development.
As an association dedicated to increased use of rail for freight, and while rail and its infrastructure suffer unfair treatment compared with road, the Rail Freight Group welcomes the positive discrimination offered by this extra weight allowance. Our argument is that 'UK Limited' will reap huge benefits, both commercial and environmental, if our underused rail network can be fully integrated into our transport planning and operations and the 44-tonne concession is just one small contribution to achieving that integration.
However, many other issues have to be sorted out before rail freight can claw its way back from the neglect of several decodes. But the pressure is now on arid things are beginning to change. The messages contained in the Royal Commission report and the more recent SACTR A report herald a fundamental re-appraisal of our use of transport and of our expenditure on road building Members of the Rail Freight Group are ahead of the game and they intend to make money from commercial operations in rail freight, using road and rail where they are most appropriate. Any road haulier with an eye to future developments should be considering how he can be a part of this transport revolution and I will be pleased to advise him.
Chris Nichols Group secretary, Rail Freight Croup, Oxford