Rail freight

Increasing rail freight’s modal share

01.05.14: Philippa Edmunds, manager of Freight on Rail, explains the growth of rail freight in the UK and how this can be further boosted. Rail freight is vital to the UK economy. As the transport minister Baroness Kramer said: “The rail freight...

Freight industry celebrates as first train tested on Ipswich Chord

25.03.14: GB Railfreight has tested the first freight train on the Ipswich Chord, which is due to open commercially on 31 March. The chord forms an important part of Network Rail’s strategic freight network – a programme of investment to...

New Ipswich Chord to increase UK freight capacity

24.03.14: The new £59m Ipswich Chord is set to increase capacity for freight trains and ease a major bottleneck affecting passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML). Built on the site of the former Harris bacon factory, the new li...

Freight challenges set out to 2035 by CILT

14.02.14: Strategic national direction is needed to meet challenges facing the future growth of the UK’s logistics capability, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has urged. A new report, UK Freight Planning to 2035, exami...

NDS fleet haulage services awarded

06.02.14: Five suppliers have been awarded contracts to provide haulage for Network Rail’s National Delivery Service (NDS). DB Schenker, Freightliner Heavy Haul, GBRf, Direct Rail Services and Colas Rail will provide locomotives and drivers for...

£90m haulage contract for Colas Rail

31.01.14: Network Rail and Colas Rail have signed a £90m freight haulage contract. Colas Rail will provide haulage for daily network services and passenger services, mainly for the Western and Southern regions. Services to the Eastern and North...

Crossrail contract extension for GBRf

28.11.13: GB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract extension to shift excavated material from Crossrail tunnels. The contract is with BFK working with Costain/SkansaJV and will run until November 2014. It covers services from Willesden Euro terminal...

Rail Freight Alliance launched

01.11.13: A new group has been formed with the five major freight operating companies and Network Rail to deliver sustainable improvements for the sector. The Rail Freight Alliance has been endorsed by the Rail Delivery Group, with a new framework an...

Second freight derailment reported

16.10.13: Days of delays are expected after a freight train derailed last night in Gloucester.  An empty container came off the wagon as the train was travelling on the Lydney-Gloucester line, but no-one was injured. Replacement bus services are...

Freight traffic up by 3.7% – ORR

04.10.13: The amount of freight moved has increased by 3.7% this year, new statistics from the ORR show. In 2013-14 Q1 freight was moved to a total of 5.7bn net tonne kilometres. The report, Research findings on freight, also showed that freight dela...

Eight new Class 66 locos for GBRf

04.09.13: GB Railfreight has signed a deal for eight new Class 66 locomotives with Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. The rolling stock will be delivered in August 2014 and will be used on biomass and infrastructure Railfreight haulage. John Smith, managing...

GB Railfreight calls for integrated electrification

02.07.13: The UK must develop an aligned electrification investment strategy for rail and freight, GB Railfreight has urged. In evidence to the Transport Select Committee on its inquiry into ‘Access to Ports’, GB Railfreight calls for one...

New freight director appointed at Network Rail

26.06.13: Paul McMahon has been appointed as director of freight, Network Rail has announced. McMahon, has previously worked at the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), is replacing Tim Robinson, who is the new route managing director for Sussex. Ro...

Strategic Rail Freight Interchange plans ‘not legally flawed’

19.06.13: St Albans council has been refused legal action against the Government for planning permission to build a rail depot on greenbelt land. Communities’ secretary Eric Pickles stated in December that he was “minded to approve”...

Freight charges decision ‘great relief’ – RFG

12.06.13: The ORR has concluded that proposed freight charges will be lower than initially suggested. The decisions are announced as part of the Draft Determination of the Periodic Review 2013 and have been welcomed by freight groups. Biomass will no...