Eddington Transport Study

Freight on Rail is pleased to comment on the Eddington Transport Study.

Definition of Freight on Rail

Setting the right planning framework for rail freight is crucial and that is why Freight on Rail, a partnership of the rail freight industry, the transport trade unions and Transport 2000, was set up to work with regional and local authorities to get the right spatial planning policies in place.

In our submission we examine the role of the land-use planning system in facilitating economic growth and the role of rail freight to the economy and society.

Introduction

Why Land-Use Planning is central to transport policy decisions and economic growth

National, regional and local government, has a crucial role to play in setting the framework for transport through the land use planning system. The land-use planning process seeks to ensure that the allocation of land, as a scarce resource is done in a fair, consistent and controlled manner. It is important to remember that town planning’s role is to integrate land use planning and transport policies and to stop development that is not in the public interest. These policies emanate from Government and explain the role the Government has in setting the framework for transport.  The Government demonstrates its commitment to rail freight through an enabling planning framework which gives the industry the confidence to make long term investments.  

The nation needs the right land use planning framework to allow rail freight to play its role in the economy. The regional and local planning systems are vital instruments for achieving the modal shift to rail. They not only provide an enabling, supportive context in which rail freight can develop but ensure that new terminals are located in the right place for the right people. Without the appropriate national, regional and local planning framework, the rail freight industry can neither obtain planning permission to develop new rail freight interchanges nor justify long-term investment to increase freight carried by rail.

 
1. Why we need rail freight?

1.1 To boost the economy

Rail freight literally keeps the lights on: a quarter of our electricity comes from coal transported by rail. A quarter of maritime containers imported into southern English container ports are transported by rail in the UK. Sixty-five per cent of intercontinental trade to the north of England travels by rail, and over 275,000 containers a year go by rail to and from Felixstowe. Some 85 per cent of aggregates used for construction in London goes by rail and nationally a fifth of all building materials are delivered by rail, as is around half of Corus’ outputs. Famous household names using rail as part of their distribution process include Tesco, Asda, M&S, Danone, Whirlpool, Rosebys and DFS. Automotive industry users of rail include the Ford Group, Volkswagen, BMW and Jaguar. The list goes on…

Rail freight is an important part of the mix of supply chain solutions, borne out by the following quotes.

‘The case for rail freight is well-made’ Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Transport 25th September 2003

‘More and more UK retailers are looking to rail freight to meet the supply chain demands of their businesses’ British Retail Consortium.

Companies face an uncertain future as regards the reliability and costs of road freight services… Rail freight services represent one option that industry logistics personnel and freight buyers are looking to in ever growing numbers Freight Transport Association

1.2 To relieve road congestion

Rail freight, acting as a freight by-pass, can reduce road congestion which according to the Government is set to grow by up to 37 per cent by 2010.

An aggregates train can remove 120 HGVs from our roadsi.

1.3 To protect the environment

Rail freight makes a vital contribution to protecting the environment and helping the Government to meet its commitments to improving air quality and tackling climate change. Overall rail produces less than one per cent of the total U.K. emissions of carbon dioxide, the principle green house gas, compared with 21 per cent from road transportii.

Freight Transport: Average emissions in grams per tonne-kilometreiii.

Mode	PM10	CO	NOx	CO2	VOC
Rail	0.004	0.032	0.31	15	0.021
HGV	0.048	0.33	1.74	180	0.15

Key: PM10 particulate matter of less than 10 microns; CO carbon monoxide; NOx oxides of nitrogen; CO2carbon dioxide; VOC volatile organic compounds. 

Tonne for tonne rail freight produces 90 per cent less carbon dioxide than road transportiv.

“The move from road to rail means greater speed and flexibility for our customers as well as less air pollution, which is great news for the environment.”- Dave Ansell DHL

1.4 Roads are expensive to maintain

Lorries cause significant damage to the roads which has to be paid for by taxpayers. Transferring freight to the railways reduces this cost. The damage done by heavy vehicles increases with approximately the fourth power of the axle load. Using the fourth power law, one axle of 10 tonnes (HGV scale) is 160,000 times more damaging to a road surface than an axle of 0.5 tonnes (car scale).
This is why road surface maintenance is generally taken to be almost exclusively attributable to the heaviest vehicles.

Sending goods by rail can lower road maintenance costs for authorities.

1.5 To help transport safety

Rail is a safer way for society to distribute freight than by road. In 2004, five passengers were killed on the railwaysv, 3,221 people were killed on the roadsvi.

The Government needs to set the framework for the rail freight industry to serve the economy and society.

2. Why we need the government to set the framework for rail freight

The nation needs the right land use planning framework to cater for the demand for rail freight. The regional and local planning systems are vital instruments for achieving the modal shift to rail. They not only provide an enabling, supportive context in which rail freight can develop but ensure that new terminals are located in the right place for the right people. Without the appropriate national, regional and local planning framework the rail freight industry can neither obtain planning permission to develop new rail freight interchanges, nor protect potential rail lands, nor justify long-term investment to increase freight carried by rail.

Government has four key roles to allow the shift to rail freight to be realised:

• Planning for rail freight through national, regional and local strategies. Strategies include Regional Spatial Strategies, Regional Transport Strategies and Freight Strategies. Commenting on Regional Planning Assessments written by the Department of Transport. Working with Network Rail to influence Route Utilization Strategies, (RUSs). 

• Protecting rail lands and interests such as track beds and sidings through local plans. Identify and protect sites, lines and siding with existing or possible future rail potential , taking into account the latest PPG13, (once sites are gone, they are gone for ever). See precedent set by Mansard Homes v Surrey Heath at www.freightonrail.org.uk which shows councils countrywide that they can protect disused railway land for future potential railway use, even where there is no immediate evidence of future possible use as long as the land is safeguarded in the local development framework. This includes Local Development Frameworks, (LDFs), Unitary Development Plans (UDPs) and Local Transport Plans (LTPs).

• Promoting rail freight through facilitation and grants. Bringing different parties together, such as working on Freight Quality Partnerships (FQPs). Dissemination of information and best practice. Working with central government and other authorities at local and regional levels. For example in Teesside the Teesside joint Strategy unit represents several authorities on transport issues.

• Participating in partnerships such as community railway schemes with ACORP. Partnerships such as the North East Scotland rail freight partnership run by the local authorities and supported by the Scottish Executive. Responding to central government policies consultations.

3. Granting planning permission for rail freight interchanges

The policy of subsidiarty means that local authorities which are responsible for granting planning permission for interchanges, also are faced with balancing the local disbenefits such as increased local lorry movements, of such a development against the wider regional and national benefits.

The failure to get planning permissions for the proposals to build a large intermodal interchange at Colnbrook, called the London Interchange Freight Exchange (LIFE) was due to the lack of rail freight strategies at national, regional and local levels. 

Consequently it is crucial that there are national and regional policies supporting the shift to rail freight so that local authorities can give permission for applications and promote the wider environmental and economic benefits and mitigate against local opposition by appropriate design. Planners need to be conversant with the issues around local losers versus wider national benefits and handle projects sensitively. In particular, authorities need to:-

Understand local factors

• Do not underestimate the importance of this element, which, if wrongly handled, can kill a project 

• Consult, & understand local opposition and promote the wider environmental benefits

• Choose the right location and size; use green vehicles, sustainable building design and landscaping which can mitigate against local opposition.

• Take advantage of the industry expertise of Freight on Rail members

  
4. Rail freight needs to be evaluated at national and regional levels

Freight on Rail believes that the existing regional structures in England with regional assemblies producing Regional Spatial Strategies enables authorities to plan for rail freight at regional levels while taking into consideration cross regional and national freight flows. These statutory documents inform members and officers at local levels in both protecting rail sites and track beds and granting planning permission for interchanges.
  

5. Symbiotic relationship between UK ports and rail freight.

• Over 40 per cent of all rail freight is to and from ports.

• 80 per cent of ports are served by rail freight regularly

• A quarter of maritime containers imported into southern English container ports are transported by rail. 

• Sixty-five per cent of intercontinental trade to the north of England travels by rail.

• An average of 25 trains arrive and depart Felixstowe each day removing over one thousand lorries from local roads and the A14 daily. This means that over 275,000 containers a year go by rail to and from Felixstowe.

• Rail freight removes over a thousand lorries from the roads around Southampton, the second largest UK container port.

• The shipping industry would transport more containers by rail if more capacity and capability (gauge) were available as the following quotes illustrate.

• Seventy-five trains depart daily from Immingham.

“Rail to and from the UK's major ports is proving more reliable than road. Dedicated K&N rail services from the ports of Southampton and Felixstowe are recording 95% reliability levels, compared with 'low-mid 80%' for comparable road haulage”. Peter Ulber, Chief Executive  Kuenhe & Nagel 2005

“Rail will have to play a significant future role in moving cargo out of the British ports. … As an industry we need all the rail freight we can get.” Jens Holger Niesen MD Maersk Sealand 2004

It is essential that ports are served by an effective and efficient rail network that provides an attractive alternative to congested roads. This helps UK ports to be competitive and in turn helps the UK economy compete with European and world rival countries.

 

Philippa Edmunds Freight on Rail   December 2005
Freight on Rail Campaigner
Email:philippa@freightonrail.org.uk
020 8241 9982; www.freightonrail.org.uk