Freight
“Who cannot see that investing billions in freight infrastructure would hold more value than improving the passenger experience”
growth? And, as a result, road transport will ease? This claim is indeed being made – the government has said that HS2 could take half a million lorry journeys a year off the M1, M40 and M6 combined. Again, where is the evidence to support this? It is undoubtedly disappointing – even a lost opportunity – for a government to decide to embark on such major reform of the rail network without freight being at the very forefront of the plans as a key consideration from day one. How can anyone talk seriously about developing a better Britain for the long- term without recognising that logistics are absolutely vital to the economy? And who cannot see that investing billions in freight infrastructure would hold more value than improving the passenger experience? Where is the long-term strategy for rail freight and why aren’t business leaders lobbying to do something truly radical, something that would make the country one of the most efficient in the world for delivering goods quickly and with a greatly reduced carbon footprint? HS2 Ltd has said that high speed rail
would act as ‘an engine for economic growth’ and talked in terms of ‘redrawing the economic map’, supporting British businesses and strengthening society ‘by better connecting the communities in which we live’. Freight is not top of the list in the strategic case for HS2, then – although, to be fair, it is recognised that
WCML and the national north-south networks are crucial for transporting freight. WCML is said to be the busiest mixed-use railway in Europe and to carry a quarter of all UK rail freight.
Dedicated rail freight hubs The RFG has predicted that, by 2030, volumes of rail freight would be around 120 per cent of current levels, growing at a rate of 3.3 per cent year-on-year. The RFG said: ‘Only a new line can offer the capacity needed to meet long rising trends of increased demand for long distance rail, freight and commuting. Without it, WCML and the East Coast and Midland Main Lines will become severely congested, holding back the wider economy.’
It is for this reason that the RFG supports the development of new capacity on HS2 and the capacity that will be released on the conventional network. But the group – as well as the government and anyone else who believes that getting freight moving efficiently is vital to economic growth – should ask themselves one question. If they had a blank page and were trying to devise the best solution to the freight transport problem, would they have come up with HS2? The answer, surely, has to be ‘no’. And how much consideration has been given to intermodal distribution, ie creating a co-ordinated network using
the combined media of ships, trains and road transport? The fact is, with the increase in port-centric activity there is a growing demand for rail but the current infrastructure limits the potential for British industry to grow. With the money being quoted, we
could increase the number of dedicated rail freight hubs in addition to developing a more sophisticated network. We could set up cross-country rail links or even develop quieter trains to increase the amount of night freight. Surely investing in supporting this kind of activity, something that actually takes account of the changing dynamics of logistics, would make a lot more sense.
The long-term freight model has clearly got significant challenges built into it. But if you have a desire to increase exports, the best way to distribute that product has to be by rail. At what point will there be a cohesive strategy in place to develop such a freight network? Fundamentally, we are leading with
the wrong concept. If Britain is to get anywhere in its attempt at becoming great again, there needs to be a genuine revolution in moving freight around the island. Sadly, with HS2, the opportunity to make a real difference is being wasted.
•
Bill Goodwin is sales director of materials handling service provider Briggs Equipment UK
www.briggsequipment.co.uk
December 2013 Page 77
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