16


times be rather a


2,000-tonne


Issue 5 2019 - Freight Business Journal Railfreight – an uphill struggle


Promoting rail freight in Wales can at hauling


like train


up a gradient on greasy rails. Robin Smith, Railfreight Group’s Wales and West Midlands representative spends a fair bit of time talking to local politicians, business people and others about ideas for various terminals in the country but admits: “The likely length of haul in a small country like Wales does make it hard to recover the cost of any transhipment from Road to rail.” He


has recently returned from a gathering of local


politicians in the mid-Wales town of Machynlleth where he put forward the idea of a mini terminal at Moat Lane, a closed station on the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth line that is also at the crossroads of several major roads. It could be a terminal for several major supermarkets in the area to receive goods railed in from the Midlands. Another suggestion for mid-


Wales is the idea of railing locally sourced timber to the Chronospan works in Chirk on the English border – which does receive some timber by rail from more distant origins including


cans M4 motorway relief road


The Welsh Government has made an abrupt U-turn over plans to build a controversial M4


relief road through


Newport, South Wales. First Minister Mark


Drakeford went against the advice of planning inspector Bill Wadrup, who after a long drawn out


public enquiry


described the case for the road as “compelling”. The £1.4bn scheme would


have created a new 14-mile section


of motorway into


South Wales, bypassing the Brynglas Tunnels, a notorious pinch-point on the M4 into South Wales. The


first minister has


however now set up a commission to study alternative solutions. Environmental groups


were strongly opposed to the scheme, saying that it would cut


across significant sites


for wild birds, but another potential casualty was ABP’s port of Newport, as the new road would have cut across its operational area, rendering large parts of the site unusable by shipping. However, a £135 million


package of mitigation measures were announced in late 2017, including new buildings for firms operating in the port and developing the south dock as an alternative to the north dock where a new road bridge would have made it


inaccessible for some vessels. The height of a new bridge over the River Usk would also have been increased. The Freight Transport


Association was though broadly in favour of the road plan and was dismayed at the First Minister’s decision. It said it would cost the Welsh economy hundreds of millions of pounds in lost investment. Head of Welsh policy at


FTA, Sally Gilson, commented: “FTA is urging the First Minister to reconsider his decision. The M4 is a vital stretch of infrastructure with international economic importance, yet it is blighted by heavy congestion. FTA’s members have consistently evidenced the urgent need to


tackle these congestion


issues; it is frustrating that the opportunity to deliver this essential investment into South Wales’ infrastructure has been missed.” Gilson continued “The First Minister’s decision will


cost


the Welsh economy hundreds of millions of pounds in lost private sector investment; as per the Welsh Government’s own assessment, it would have delivered £2 for every £1 invested. By improving the air quality around the Brynglas tunnels and tackling the road congestion through Newport, it would have also benefited local citizens.”


Government


South Wales and Scotland. However, the short length


of hauls within Wales usually makes rail uneconomic and while there is some interest in such ideas, it has not so far been possible to get commitments by either politicians or industrialists to developing rail. The Welsh Government has not so far made the same commitment to expanding rail as in Scotland, where there is now a policy to increase the amount of traffic and where the longer hauls can make much more attractive. In similar vein is the suggestion by the former Taith


transport consortium that carried out a comprehensive study into the idea of setting up a couple of rail terminals in North Wales – one on Deeside in the east with a new rail chord to give direct access from the Wrexham line towards Chester and the other a scheme to put some of the Continent to Ireland landbridge traffic onto rail via Holyhead. The service could also operate via Daventry and handle some domestic flows to and from Holyhead too. Quite a lot of work was done


on the latter scheme, says Smith, but ultimately there was no firm


commitment at the political or business level. In any case, the uncertainty over Brexit has put the future of landbridge traffic in doubt. It was though a potentially


attractive idea, says Smith: “Just one train a day could have handled 10% of all the traffic through Holyhead.” South Wales does currently


have some reasonably substantial rail freight flows, though much of it is tied up with the steel industry whose future is again somewhat in doubt following the European Commission’s rejection of a merger plan by two of the biggest operators. There is also still a certain amount of coal out of


///WALES


Cwmbargoed although an issue here is the plan for the Keolis-Amey Transport for Wales passenger train operator to take over responsibility for infrastructure, which might complicate the relationship with the rail freight industry. There are also a couple


of intermodal flows to and from Wales including regular container trains from Daventry and Southampton. These seem to have survived the recent abolition of road tolls on the Severn Crossing although it’s not yet clear if a planned third service to Felixstowe will come about aſter completion of capacity improvement work on the Felixstowe branch line, as had been suggested.


Rugby legend Bennett to be star of FTA Wales event


Rugby legend Phil Bennett will be the star guest at this year’s Freight Transport Association Welsh Logistics Lunch, at the Cardiff


Marriott Hotel on 29


November. The former Welsh international captain was part of the all-conquering British Lions team of 1974, which toured South Africa undefeated – something no other team has ever done. FTA head of Welsh policy, Sally Gilson, commented: “FTA’s Welsh


Logistics Lunch was launched in 1983 and has grown every year since; a true testament to the value it provides to businesses within the Welsh logistics sector. And we are thrilled to have secured Phil Bennett as our aſter- lunch speaker: a true leader of the game, I’m sure he will have a host of stories to share with rugby and non-rugby fans alike. I’m looking forward to getting together with some of the industry’s finest and


Brexit boost for Bristol boxes


Bristol Port has completed a £9 million upgrade of its container terminals, including two new gantry cranes. Bristol operates two facilities - Portbury handles larger vessels including the weekly MSC feeder from Antwerp while


Avonmouth


serves smaller vessels needing rapid turnaround time for smaller volumes. Carriers calling at the port


include MSC, DFDS Suardiaz Line and Containerships (both providing weekly services to and from Bilbao); Grimaldi Lines (weekly services to and the Mediterranean, Sweden and Denmark) and Cronus Logistics (three sailings a week to Northern Ireland). Commercial manager James


Stangroom, said: “This upgrade is designed to further refine our productivity, and to provide considerable extra capacity to


handle an increase in container traffic. Our container services


continue to grow, as more and more businesses recognise


celebrating our achievements, despite the challenging economic environment we work in. It’s certain to be a great event once more – definitely not one to be missed!” A table of 10 places is available


to book for £500, a table for 12 for £600, or individual places are priced at £50 per person. For more information or


a place, please visit https://ſta. co.uk/welshlunch19


the huge advantage of using the most centrally located container port in the UK, and the benefits that brings of connectivity and efficiency in bringing containers closer to domestic markets.” A number of major companies


– including Amazon, The Range and Roper Rhodes – have set up national distribution centres in the hinterland around Portbury and Avonmouth. Stangroom added: “We are


a global gateway and have developed partnerships with a number of these key businesses, including for example The Range,


which brings to book


in


thousands of containers every year via MSC.” Earlier this year, Bristol


Port launched a brochure to showcase how it is “Brexit ready”. One possibility will be for importers to move from lorry-borne cargo via Dover– which has potential for delays– to containers through Bristol.


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