Railfreight answer
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
BRITISH RAIL is investing £6.75m link freight wagons, and says this Speaking in London last week, BR freight director Henry Sanderson said that the Railfreight business is aiming for a 171.3m trading profit this year, despite the strikes earlier this year, and it is aiming to build up Speedlink business from its present 5m tonnes a year to over 9m tonnes by 1986.
Since last year, the Speedlink wagonload business has been increased from 62 trunk services 'a day to 85, and BR is aiming to provide 150, with 300 feeder services backing this up. Ultimately, it will use 125 BR sidings and depots and 450 private sidings and 65 privately-owned depots.
"The capacity we will then be offering on Speedlink is equivalent to around 3,250 32.5-tonne gvw vehicles a day, making Speedlink probably the largest 'trucking' operation in the country," Mr Sanderson said.
Commenting on the construction of the latest 250 29-tonne payload wagons for Speedlink, Mr Sanderson said: "The building of these wagons is, in effect, BR's answer to the heavy lorry, and they will be in the forefront of the new assault we are
in another 250 high-speed Speedis its answer to the heavier lorry. mounting on the general merchandise and distribution markets."
But he was not out to knock the road haulier, and pointed out that around 12 haulage, warehousing and distribution companies have been awarded Section 8 private sidings grants.
He took this as a further vote of confidence in BR's future, saying: "One could not expect private road haulage and distribution firms to invest in rail unless they knew it made sense.
"It shows also how, slowly but surely, the old suspicions and animosities between road and rail are dying away, and how the opportunities for profitable partnership together are now being realised." he added.
Mr Sanderson went on to express the hope that more roadbased companies would take advantage of Section 8 grants when Transport Secretary David Howell fulfills his Conservative Party conference pledge to increase the maximum payment from 50 to 60 per cent as part of the package to increase lorry weights.