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Rail freight saves sample County Council over £750,000 in road repairs25th March 2006 Research commissioned by Freight on Rail highlights that in counties with significant rail freight potential, the local transport authorities could save serious amounts on road repairs if suitable cargoes were to go by rail. The research shows that the case study county council, which spends a typical amount on its road maintenance, could be saving as much as £770,700 on road maintenance each year because certain goods in its area go by rail rather than road. The research makes a strong case for local authorities to encourage more freight to go by rail, particularly where they have significant bulk, waste or port traffic in their regions, even without taking into account the significant additional environmental, social and congestion benefits of rail freight. HGVs are up to 160,000 times more damaging to road surfaces than the average car; some of the heaviest road repair costs are therefore almost exclusively attributable to the heaviest vehicles and the research suggests that transfer to rail can reduce these costs. Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail campaigner said, “This research confirms what our eyes and ears tell us, that lorries cause significant wear and tear to our local roads. This research suggests that certain local authorities, with significant bulk, waste or port traffic for example, should be free to use their road maintenance budget to support rail freight facilities and services. Freight on Rail members will be pleased to advise local authorities on the viability of projects.” The
research carried out by MTRU looked at rail freight flows in a
single county and analysed what the use of rail there was. The
case study used specific freight flows to identify actual expenditure
which would fall on the local highway authority if they transferred
to road. It did not include costs met by central government for
the trunk road network, and thus focuses on impact on local authority
finances. Allocated maintenance expenditureAll figures are per year for 2004/05
The
sample county had a budget in excess of £15mn for 2004/05. Notes to editors: Freight
on Rail, a partnership between transport trades unions, ASLEF,
RMT and TSSA, the rail freight operators EWS, Freightliner, Network
Rail, the Rail Freight Group 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 and
regional authorities through all stages of the process such as
planning a rail-freight strategy, accessing grants and dealing
with technical matters. We need rail freight:-To protect the environmentRail 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. Tonne for
tonne rail freight produces 90 per cent less carbon dioxide, the
principal greenhouse gas, than road transport- AEA Technology
for SRA October 2004 To relieve road congestionAn aggregates
train can remove 120 HGVs from our roads – Network Rail
2005 To help transport safetyRail
is a safer way for society to distribute freight.
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