Rail freight

Good times roll

In these pivotal times in the rail freight sector, one company, Freightliner Heavy Haul continues to flourish.

Heavy Haul is the fastest growing bulk freight operator in the UK. With 17 driver depots and administrative centres in Crewe and Ferrybridge, Heavy Haul’s operational network extends across England, Scotland and Wales.

Since being formed in 1999, the company has earned a reputation for service and delivery which is second to none. As a result, both turnover and profit have increased in each of those years.

Having played a key role in revitalising the rail freight market, Heavy Haul’s commitment to the rail freight sector is typified by its investment in technology and equipment. In 2004, Freightliner became the first private company in the UK to invest in new wagons for the aggregates industry. In the past six years, the company has acquired almost 900 wagons.

Two recent events illustrate the company’s forward thinking. In January, Freightliner took delivery of six 102-tonne petroleum tank wagons to supplement the fleet already owned by their client, Conoco, Having entered service on the 29th these wagons, known as TEAs, will cover the well trodden route from Humber to Kingsbury.

Second is the addition of the custom-designed HXA coal hopper. 109 new wagons which, through some clever technical innovations (including reduced bogie spacing and ramp angle optimizations) will increase the payload of coal trains by up to 10%. The introduction of the HXA is the culmination of six hugely successful years in the coal sector for the business. Accounting for around half of the bulk freight market, coal is the barometer for success, and Freightliner celebrated hauling their 50 millionth tonne in October last year. The new hoppers, which will be hauled by five new class 66 locomotives, will boost the company’s coal haulage capacity by over 20%. This equates to 30 locomotives, 300 coal trains, 500 wagons, and 400,000 tonnes of coal per week.

Heavy Haul’s commitment to growing its business goes hand in hand with its commitment to slowing environmental change. The new stock, which will increase maximum train sizes, helps minimise the carbon footprint of traffic without adversely affecting network capacity. Both the HXAs and the TEAS are also equipped with the latest track-friendly bogies (including the pioneering “opti-track”), which will help preserve the railway itself, avoiding costly track maintenance. In this ultra-competitive market, keeping the network operational is critical. No surprise then that Heavy Haul’s first trains conducted infrastructure work. Since then, the company has expanded its operational portfolio to include the haulage of trains to replace sleepers and the mammoth high output ballast cleaner – the most expensive piece of machinery ever to grace the railway network. At over £100,000 per operation, this is one train that cannot be missed, and it is telling that Freightliner, with a right time departure rate of 93%, are entrusted to command it.

Freightliner is not limited to coal, oil, aggregates and infrastructure – nor indeed bulk freight in general. While Heavy Haul also moves cement, scrap, and domestic waste, Freightliner Intermodal is the largest haulier of maritime containers in the UK, responsible for 22% of market share. Founded in April last year, Freightliner Maintenance ensures that that efficiency and availability of Class 66 locomotives remain at peak levels.

Since privatisation, UK rail freight tonnages have increased by 66%. With the latest government estimates indicating that it will grow by another 30% by 2015, the future looks no less bright. Heavy Haul expects to absorb a significant proportion of this increase, and there is little doubt that they have the expertise, experience and equipment to do it, as the company motto, ‘reliability as standard’, suggests.

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