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Building on Regional Rail Freight Potential27th January 2004 Freight on Rail and the South East England Regional Assembly are jointly organising a rail freight event for local authorities in the region on Thursday 5 February. The aim of the event is to raise the profile with local authorities of the opportunities available to encourage greater use of the rail system for freight movements. Although the amount of freight carried by rail has increased in recent years, there remains considerable potential for further growth. Delegates attending the seminar will examine the opportunities presented by the Regional Transport Strategy to realise the potential for freight on rail. They will also focus on the importance of rail freight links serving the international gateway ports within the South East region as well as linkages to continental Europe. Delegates will visit the Colnbrook rail freight terminal set-up for the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5. Martin Tugwell, Head of Regional Transport Planning at the South East England Regional Assembly, commented: "We need to highlight the opportunities to use rail for freight transport as part of an integrated approach to transport. Through partnerships between organisations in the public and private sector ‘rail on freight’ could be a successful and economically viable option." Campaign co-ordinator Philippa Edmunds said: " We are committed to helping local and regional authorities promote rail freight and are very conscious of the obstacles they face. These events, where the industry can make constructive comments as well as listening to the issues authorities face, are designed to help this process. Feedback from previous events held in the West Midlands, the North East and Yorkshire and Humber regions, has been very favourable. Freight on Rail tailors each event to the individual region’s requirements. We really appreciate the regions’ support and look forward to planning further events in the regions." Freight on Rail, a partnership between the rail freight operators,
the Rail Freight Group, Network Rail, the transport trade unions
and Transport 2000, concentrates on working with local and regional
authorities to foster rail freight interests as part of a more
sustainable distribution system. Notes to editors: Freight on Rail Freight on Rail, a partnership between transport trades unions,
ASLEF, RMT and TSSA, the rail freight operators EWS, Freightliner,
GB Railfreight, 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. South East England Regional Assembly The Assembly is the "voluntary regional chamber" for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey. The Regional
Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors
nominated by the region’s local authorities
and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including
business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports,
culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and
voluntary organisations). The Assembly has three areas of core business: It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and
representing its member organisations and, through them, the
wider public.
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