Rail freight

New freight service launched between Liverpool Port and Scotland

24 April 2018Peel Ports and DB Cargo have formed a partnership to provide new rail services for containers via the Port of Liverpool for the first time. The service will provide cargo-owners with a route between the quayside at Liverpool and Scotland. From 8...

Construction rail traffic sees record 5% increase

06 March 2018There has been a record expansion in construction rail traffic, according to the latest rail freight statistics. The ORR’s quarter three figures have revealed a 5% increase in construction traffic, with a movement of 1.1 billion net-tonne k...

Uneven load and track twist led to Lewisham freight train derailment

28 February 2018A freight train derailment in south London occurred when an unevenly loaded wagon encountered a “significant track twist”, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch’s (RAIB) investigation has found. Two wagons within an aggregate t...

Council approves construction of new rail freight terminal at Cricklewood

12 February 2018Construction of a modern rail freight terminal at Cricklewood has been approved to support the £4.5bn Brent Cross housing regeneration. The terminal will be built on existing rail land at Cricklewood, north London. Without the terminal, th...

Consumer rail freight movement reaches record high

22 December 2017Record growth in two of the main rail freight markets has continued, according to a report published yesterday. The Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) latest quarterly rail freight figures have revealed that construction traffic has increased...

Switching from lorries to freight trains could cut air pollution by 10%

20 December 2017Making the switch from HGVs to trains for freight travel could lead to 10% less air pollution from NOx across the country, says new research from the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT). Following an investigation into lorry travel across four of...

Network Rail awards landmark £150m ETCS signalling contract

20 December 2017Network Rail has awarded a landmark contract for the installation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) in-cab signalling system to Siemens. The system will be installed on Britain’s freight fleet, and will ultimately equip around 750...

Time to recognise freight's role

24 November 2017Campaign for Better Transport’s Freight on Rail manager, Philippa Edmunds, argues that the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC’s) recent report overlooks the contribution rail freight makes to reducing congestion on British...

RMT threatens strike action against another TOC over pay

07 September 2017Yet another TOC could become the latest victim of widespread industrial action as the RMT today warned that a dispute against East Midlands Trains (EMT) was “looming”. The union said that strikes could be on the horizon due to East Mi...

IRR experts take lead to deliver lighter-weight freight bogies

08 August 2017Experts from the University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research (IRR) have announced an ambitious plan to double the amount of freight carried by trains across Europe through the development of lighter-weight bogies. The project...

Business leaders urge Khan to appoint ‘freight commissioner’ for London

04 August 2017Industry leaders in the capital have urged the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to appoint a ‘freight commissioner’ to oversee the growing logistical demands of the capital. In a statement from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry...

How can the new government support rail freight?

20 July 2017Following the recent general election, Maggie Simpson, executive director at the Rail Freight Group, considers what action the government can take to ensure that the sector continues to grow.

Reducing congestion

10 July 2017New figures show rail freight is far better at reducing congestion than previously thought, writes Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail manager at the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT).

Rail freight: part of the solution

06 July 2017The limitations of rail freight dictate that it can never be the total solution to supply chain challenges, but Chris MacRae, rail expert at the Freight Transport Association (FTA), argues its many benefits are often overlooked by shippers as a co...

Two-thirds of public support rail freight investment boost, poll finds

04 July 2017Almost two-thirds (61%) of people would like to see more freight transported by rail, a new poll released today has found. The findings, released by YouGov, also found that only 2% of people wanted to see more freight transported by road in lorri...