Track cost blow hits railfreight
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• Hopes that railfreight costs may fall, encouraging a freight switch from road, were dashed this week.
The first private lines are due to open in seven months but industry sources say the decision on how to charge for track use is not expected to "fundamentally change the balance between road and rail".
Grants will be available to pay track costs if a company can show that keeping freight on the road would cause environmental damage. However, it is not clear how much money the Government is prepared to make available for this purpose.
The news will disappoint the Rail Freight Group, which represents users. In a series of meetings the RFG has been telling Transport Minister Roger Freeman that rail freight must be temporarily subsidised to attract larger volumes from the road.