B.R. £25m. Plan to Win Freight kAORE efficient door-to-door services
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LY1 have been described by British Railways as "the key" to a £25m. shortcrm plan by the 'London Midland Region for improving freight services. fhe aim is to gain new traffic and win )ack freight lost to road transport—and
esults are expected this year.
The London Midland 'Region carry Lbout a third of the freight handled by he railways. Their plan is to increase he number of express freight trains— hey already have about 600—use more liesel locomotives, reduce the number of reight terminals and marshalling yards, nd modernize the remainder. There will iso be more modern signalling devices, nd radio communication with shunting ngines.
Instead of 170 sundries depots, there /ill be only 48, of which 10 are to be iodernized by the end of this year. The II marshalling yards are to be cut to
-pafcels traffic[will • beeoneen-ated at six centres. Consequently, iere will be a reduction in staff, but the tree railway unions have been consulted. Mr. David Bice, general manager of le region, said the plan was the most nportant and far-reaching ever formuLted by the railways. Definite results id reduced expenditure were expected as year. The plan itself would operate ver the next three or four years, and the always were determined to recapture Lith in their reliability and door-to-door rvice.
The first phase of the plan will cost ilm., and the railways expect to get Lek a 16-20 per cent. return on their itlay.