Rail Freight Lines - Lord Berkeley
Issue: Spring 2010
HS2 – a missed opportunity for freight
The Government’s publication of its proposal for the new High Speed line connecting London and the Midlands, contains some disappointments for freight traffic.
While the Rail Freight Group (RFG) cautiously welcomed the publication of the HS2 report on 11th March, it was obvious that a great deal more work needed to be done to develop a sensible and affordable scheme.
Clearly, domestic high speed rail services could give a major boost to regional economies and also for the country as a whole.
At the publication of the report, Lord Andrew Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, said: “Over the next twenty to thirty years the UK will require a step-change in transport capacity and connectivity both to promote and respond to longterm economic growth. However, this must be delivered sustainably, without unacceptable environmental impacts, and in line with the Government’s strategy to promote a low-carbon economy.
“The proposed high speed rail strategy I am setting out today (11th March) will now go forward to full public consultation in the autumn. Building this network would not only revolutionise Britain’s transport, but would also present significant new opportunities for the UK’s design, engineering, construction and manufacturing sectors, creating new jobs and skills.”
Although no-one really expected that the Department for Transport’s (DfT) High Speed Rail document would focus on the use of the route by freight services, it could have done more. Obviously to make optimal use of high speed capacity, you need all the trains to go at the same speed, and not to stop too often, which does not favour conventional freight services. However, it is good that the new line is to be constructed to engineering standards suitable for freight, which means that overnight freight services would be possible, provided that the maintenance regime of the line enabled one track to remain open.
The Report states that high speed freight will be welcome, and that the infrastructure will be built to accommodate continental gauge trains, enabling such trains to operate deeper into the UK than is presently possible and does offer some opportunities for efficiency on continental traffic.
The only problem is that there is as yet no commitment to building a connection between HS1 and HS2, so, as at present designed, there will be no opportunity for any type of passenger or freight train, high speed or conventional, to operate between the continent and Birmingham or further North. This is a quite extraordinary omission which must surely be rectified.
The new Report acknowledges that the main benefit for rail freight will be the capacity which the new line will create on the West Coast Main Line and other routes. It also makes it clear that, alongside passenger services, freight is expected to be able to benefit from the paths which are no longer required by the West Coast Intercity services.
This is of course vital because the West Coast corridor is one of the busiest freight routes in the country, and there are already capacity constraints in some sections. The inverted ‘Y’ shaped route taking HS2 to Manchester and Leeds will also free up other capacity on other conventional lines for freight. RFG will be working hard to ensure that the passenger train paths no longer required are kept for the growth of freight, and not squandered on little-used passenger services.
One key concern for the future now is the worry that construction of high speed lines will drain the rest of the railway of funding. Of course ministers deny this, and say that the annual expenditure on HS2 construction is on a similar scale to that of Crossrail. That does not altogether ensure confidence, so eternal vigilance will, as usual, be necessary!
Lord Berkeley is Chairman of the Rail Freight Group. For further information, visit: www.rfg.org.uk
Published: 20/04/2010
