Rail offers low carbon alternative for freight

28th November 2007

Freight on Rail is calling for the the Government to put rail freight at the heart of its carbon dioxide reduction policy and increase rail capacity on key freight corridors, in response to the RAC Foundation’s call for road expansion.

Freight on Rail welcomes the recent Government funding for rail freight projects and commitment to commence work on the strategic rail freight network allowing rail freight services to expand. We believe that further increases in rail freight capacity along key freight corridors would be the fast route to lowering carbon emissions at the same time as alleviating road congestion.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is now committed to multi modal assessment of options and this should include schemes to increase rail capacity which can lower carbon dioxide emissions on the following routes:-

1. Between Felixstowe and Nuneaton which could reduce the numbers of lorries on the A14, currently responsible for 30 per cent of road traffic on the route.
   
   
2. More rail capacity on the key arterial route from Southampton northwards to the Midlands and the North, linked to the reconstruction of Reading Station and its approach lines, could alleviate road congestion on the A34.

Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail Campaigner said “Despite what the RAC Foundation maintains, the reality is that we cannot rely on ever bigger roads to get freight from the ports, a range of options is important. Rail freight can act as a freight bypass and has a crucial role to play in delivering a carbon-friendly transport policy in line with the Department for Transport’s framework to deliver a low carbon transport policy.1”

She continued that “Not only does rail freight have a much better environmental record than road freight, rail is significantly more energy efficient than road, as energy efficiency is directly related to carbon dioxide emissions. Just remember, that an average freight train can remove 50 HGVs from our roads”.

A recent report by the Logistics Research Centre of Heriot-Watt University for the Climate Change Working Group of the Commission for Integrated Transport stated that “shifting freight to more environmentally-friendly modes such as rail can therefore cut CO2 emissions.” This report, written by Professor Alan McKinnon, suggests that Government has been undervaluing rail freight’s carbon benefits based on historic data because it does not reflect current locomotive efficiency, particularly diesels, nor changes in working practices to reduce fuel used (such as idling).

CO2 Emissions from Freight Transport in the UK

 
For more details contact Philippa Edmunds at Freight on Rail on
020 8241 9982 or 07981 881410 (mobile) or by email at philippa@freightonrail.org.uk.

Freight on Rail is a partnership between ASLEF, TSSA, RMT, UNITE - AMICUS, EWS, Freightliner, the Rail Freight Group and Campaign for Better Transport. The Freight on Rail website is www.freightonrail.org.uk

 
Notes to editors

Tonne for tonne carried, rail freight produces five times less carbon dioxide emissions than road freight and up to fifteen times less noxious emissions.

An aggregates train can remove 120 HGVs from our roads – Network Rail 2007

Emissions from HGV traffic have grown significantly since 1990, by 25-30%, using the revised DEFRA assessment. HGV traffic is an important source of greenhouse emissions from transport, second only to cars/vans and to international aviation.

1. Department for Transport -Towards a Sustainable Transport System framework to deliver a low carbon transport policy 30 Oct 2007