Dip denies Section 8 claim
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• The Department of Transport has denied reports that the Government is to slash Section 8 rail freight grants by £300m.
It describes the allegations in last Monday's Guardian newspaper as "untrue". The DTp says that the story was based on its decision to refuse a Section 8 rail siding grant to Mersey Dock and Harbour Board at Se,aforth, adding that the grant was turned down because the application did not satisfy Section 8 requirements.
The Isle of Grain has just received ,£1.77m towards the cost of a £4.4m terminal at Thamesport, which will be operated by Maritime Transport Services. "We have not cancelled any projects," says the DTp, "We want more private operators to use the rail network and have told British Rail to listen sympathetically to proposals."
The DTp says it would like to receive more Section 8 appli cations from movers of bulk aggregates, such as quarry owners.
If successful these could affect the number of tipper operators required. British Rail will shortly receive new DTp guidelines on road-to-rail schemes, ahead of proposed Government legislation to end BR's freight monopoly. LI Track 29 managing director John Lidderdale has been "surprised" by the high quality of hauliers who have responded to his request for 25 extra agents.
The British Rail light freight service wants to increase its network to 55 agents by May.
"We expected to shortlist about 40 hauliers, but instead we are talking to 90," he says