Rail freight

Energy audits to hit all businesses

01.07.14: The government’s decision to implement energy audits on all non-SMEs before 5 December 2015 will cause a headache for every company relying on road transport – regardless of their size. Nick Radcliffe, MD of FreightArranger, explains...

Delivering the North Doncaster Chord

01.07.14: Adrian Elliott, Alliance manager on the North Doncaster Chord at Network Rail, talked to RTM about delivering the new railway flyover. On 26 June, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin officially cut the ribbon and opened the North Doncaster C...

Rail freight relief as European ministers reject international ‘mega trucks’

06.06.14: The decision by European transport ministers to reject the European Commission’s proposals to allow cross-border ‘mega trucks’ across Europe has been welcomed by the UK’s freight industry. During the review of the lo...

Colas buys 10 Class 60 locos from DB Schenker

06.06.14: Colas Rail has bought 10 class 60 locomotives from DB Schenker Rail UK – expanding its fleet of freights locomotives and infrastructure maintenance machines. The purchase price, however, has not been disclosed. According to a statemen...

First train runs on new North Doncaster Chord

05.06.14: GB Railfreight has become the first operating company to use the newly-constructed £45m North Doncaster Chord, which was recently completed by Network Rail.  Locomotive 66751 was the first loco over the new chord, which is a 3.2k...

Rail freight movement at record high in 2014

23.05.14: Rail freight movement in the UK has peaked this year with more than 22.7 billion net tonne kilometres moved in 2013-14, an increase of some 6% over the previous year, according to data from the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). Having previo...

Rail freight delivering economic benefits to UK – RDG

15.05.14: It is estimated that UK businesses are saving £1bn a year by using rail freight to transport goods, following a significant period of industry investment, a new Rail Delivery Group (RDG) report has revealed.  Based on analysis ca...

GB Railfreight invests in innovative Ecofret wagons

09.05.14: GB Railfreight (GBRf) has secured a five-year lease with VTG Rail UK Ltd for 18 of its new Ecofret triple-platform wagons.  But John Smith, managing director of GBRf, said that the government must do more to support the changing freigh...

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...