FBJ 4 FREIGHT BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Issue 1 2012 FROM THE EDITOR
One always starts a new year with a mixture of hope and trepidation and 2012 will certainly be no exception. Hope because there are some signs of a resolution of the European financial crisis – but fear too, because these efforts may once again fall flat on their face. There are also some concerns about the health of the Far East in China; the decision by Asian-carrier Jade Cargo to ground all its flights and the implication of the Cargolux Italia Asian joint venture in the bankruptcy of Cargoitalia all point to a market that, if not exactly weakening, is certainly now over-subscribed. There has also been a rush by shipping lines to merge operations in the Far
By Chris Lewis
East/Europe trades. No doubt, this is in part a reaction to the announcement of the Daily Maersk service last year but it could also be a prelude to a large scale removal of capacity from a weakening market.
A small glimmer of good news – and signs that the transport market is showing some signs of resilience - is that new operators appear to be ready to step into the breach following the final demise of SeaFrance. The joint DFDS-LD Lines venture has the most advanced plans, although intriguingly tunnel operator Eurotunnel has also expressed interest – though whether because it sees water-borne transport as a market opportunity or as a hedge against a future closure of the Tunnel we cannot say. In fact, the short sea markets generally seem quite lively, with, along
with the arrival of P&O’s second new ‘superferry’ for Dover-Calais, the announcement of a completely new service from Killingholm to Gothenburg and the addition of a new ship to DFDS’s Immingham- Rotterdam route. Some of the short-sea container lines that serve UK ports have also been adding ships and services. But it is one thing to start new services, quite another to turn them into long-term paying propositions. It’s still very choppy out there.
It is good to see that some investment is going into the country’s transport infrastructure, if not specifically for freight – at least on paper. If, like us, you have a suspicious mind, the fear is that Government spending is in effect a zero-sum game and the billions earmarked for the High Speed 2 rail line will come out of some other budget. The Freight Transport Association has already raised fears that this might be the case – though in fairness to HM Gov, there is no sign of any such thing happening yet, with spending on upgrades to the rail freight network going ahead as planned. The recently announced plans for a network of Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges and measures to improve access for rail to the country’s major ports, along with pans to upgrade the route from Felixstowe to the Midlands are all signs that investment is moving in the right direction – for now at least. Secretary of State for Transport Justine Greening said that the
expanded interchanges would support ensure that businesses have access to robust and efficient supply chains. It would be churlish to complain that it’s a pity this investment was not made before the country got itself into its current quagmire, but better late than never.
///NEWS
FBJ has already become established as the only UK and one of the few pan-European Multimodal newspapers. The comments we have received prove there is still room for a hard copy publication with the freighting industry. You don’t have to look at a screen all day!
FBJ boasts the most informative and authoritative source of information with unrivalled in-depth knowledge of the rapidly changing freight business environment.
As the definitive publication within the sea, air, road and rail freight sectors, each issue includes regular news and analysis, in-depth coverage discovering the business decisions behind the news stories, shipper and exporter reports, opinion, geographical features, political and environmental issues.
If you have any stories or letters which should be of interest or any feedback on FBJ, please contact our editor Chris Lewis - +44 (0)208 6450666
chris.lewis@fj-online.com
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It is also to important to ensure that freight really does benefit from the release of capacity on the ‘classic’ West Coast Main Line. Moreover, it is vital to ensure that the temptation to run more passenger trains on the bits of the WCML that aren’t duplicated by the high speed line don’t crowd out freight. HS2 is of course a very long-term scheme; even assuming the lawyers
don’t get their teeth thoroughly into the project and delay it still further, it will be a good decade or more before the delights of Birmingham are brought within 49 minutes of Euston. In the meantime, it is important to carry on spending on smaller ‘quick
win’ schemes to unblock specific bottlenecks on the transport system. Rebuilding the Hammersmith flyover – properly – would be a good start.
The Multi-award Winning Specialist Recruiter for Freight, Logistics & Supply Chain Personnel
www.logiskills.com
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