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Freight on Rail Response to the Draft Regional Transport Strategy for the South EastMay
28th 2004 The format of our response is a short introduction on Freight on Rail
, its membership, recent statistics on rail freight and then our
response to the consultation. Definition of Freight on Rail Freight on Rail, a partnership between transport trades unions,
freight operating companies, the Rail Freight Group, Network Rail
and Transport 2000, works to promote the economic, social and
environmental benefits of rail freight both nationally and locally.
It advocates policy changes that support the shift to rail and
provides information and help on freight related issues. In particular,
it aims to help local authorities through all stages of the process
such as planning a rail-freight strategy, accessing grants and
dealing with technical matters.
The
members are as follows:- Background to rail freight Rail freight traffic has grown 50% since 1994, and now commands 12 per cent of the surface freight market in the UK. Freight on Rail supports the Government’s ten-year Transport Plan target of 80% growth in rail freight throughout the UK in the period 2000 – 2010 and believes without this growth, the government will not reach its congestion or pollution reduction targets, nor comply with EU air pollution regulations. The simple statistic showing that an average freight train can remove 50 HGVs from our roads clearly and simply illustrated what rail freight contributes to our economy and society. The
use of rail relieves the road network of thousands of lorry movements
per day, thus easing road congestion. As well as the economic
benefits of rail freight derived from road congestion amelioration,
there are significant environmental and social advantages. Society
has to shoulder the external costs of road and air transportation.
International Railway Union (UIC) 2000 research shows that rail
freight’s external costs, i.e. excluding congestion are
eight time less per tonne kilometre than air freight and four
times less than road. Consultation Freight
on Rail would like to give its support for what we believe it
is a very strong and robust strategy. We only have a few comments
for consideration. 9.73 While the SRA has given its commitment to gauge clearance for the route from Southampton to the West Midlands, the Government has to-date not provided the necessary funding for the SRA to commission this work. Interchanges
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