Rail Freight Lines - Lord Berkeley
Issue: Spring 2009
The announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon MP, on 15th January to develop a high-speed rail line between London and Scotland provides opportunities for freight as well as passengers.
Since the stated purpose of a high-speed line is to provide additional capacity on the route corridor from London to West Midlands and beyond, we would expect a significant amount of new capacity to be provided and guaranteed on the existing lines in this corridor for freight.
In 2030, at about the time when the high-speed line is likely to open, Rail Freight Group (RFG) forecasts indicate that 200 more train paths per day will be required on the West Coast Main line and more than 100 on the East Coast Main Line.
RFG will also be seeking assurances that any investment in these expensive high-speed lines will not jeopardise investment in cheaper forms of capacity enhancements that will certainly be necessary on the Midland and East Coast Main lines. Some investment has already started on freight-specific enhancements and RFG welcomes the Secretary of State’s confirmation of the continuing investment in the strategic freight network to provide a ‘core network of enhanced travel rail routes linking key freight origins and destinations including major ports, terminals and distribution depots.’
However, since the Government admits that it would probably take around 20 years to complete even the first stage of a high-speed passenger line, it must also take urgent action in the short to medium-term to create additional capacity on these other lines. They are already full with freight struggling to obtain paths even today.
Alongside the long-term planning of a high-speed line, Government could easily create more capacity on these lines; for example the Midland main line could be four-tracked between Trent Junction and Bedford largely on the existing formation; and this could be done alongside the proposed electrification of that line.
It is important that the Government goes ahead urgently with these relatively smaller enhancements; they would be useful fiscal stimuli and can be started quickly, sometimes even without the need for planning permission.
● Lord Berkeley is Chairman of the Rail Freight Group. For further information, v isit: www.rfg.org.uk
Published: 02/03/2009
