The UK express logistics boom continues. Independent carrier Varamis Rail has unveiled its fifth train, only weeks after adding a fourth electric multiple unit to its uniform fleet of repurposed passenger trains. Varamis Rail currently runs an overnight service, carrying parcels traffic, between Birmingham and Glasgow. The announcement of a fifth unit for the Varamis […]
Author: Simon Walton
Scottish meeting has politics on the agenda for Rail Freight Group
This week, the rail freight industry in Scotland has the opportunity to air their views in the presence of the senior minister from the Scottish Government. The Rail Freight Group Scottish Conference will be addressed by Fiona Hyslop, the Transport Secretary at Holyrood. Secretary Hyslop will be laying out her vision for the industry as […]
Westminster venue for Freight Parliamentary Reception
Tuesday, 5 March, is the date for the annual Rail Partners Freight Parliamentary Reception. Any event on the Terrace Pavilion at the House of Commons in London has its own attraction. However, this year’s reception has added significance. In an election year, there is added incentive for the government and political leaders to make an […]
Logistics UK say rail reform bill starts a whole system approach
Last week’s introduction of the UK government’s Draft Rail Reform Bill could be the catalyst for a whole system approach. That’s the view of Logistics UK, the industry-wide business group representing members from rail, road, sea and air transport. The organisation wants to see rail freight sit at the heart of the industry. That’s an […]
Judge puts St Albans freight terminal back in doubt
Plans for a strategically important rail freight terminal attached to an extensive logistics park near St Albans are in flux once again. A UK judge has ruled that a challenge to the sale of land for the development can be heard in court later this year. Campaigners against the proposals have hailed this as a […]
Great British Railways prepares for freight growth target
The UK Government freight growth target, aimed at almost doubling overall volume by 2050, will help unlock demand to move more goods by rail. That’s the view of the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), the management already in place to oversee the move from the existing infrastructure agency, Network Rail, to a new overarching […]
The Irish are going for a rail freight renaissance
Dublin gives an uneven impression of the health of Ireland’s railway network. Trams, busy commuter lines, freight and long-distance express trains all compete for space around the capital’s tracks. It’s not quite the same story in the less heavily populated provinces of the republic. That, though, is something the Irish authorities have a plan to […]
The Irish are going for a rail freight renaissance
Dublin gives an uneven impression of the health of Ireland’s railway network. Trams, busy commuter lines, freight and long-distance express trains all compete for space around the capital’s tracks. It’s not quite the same story in the less heavily populated provinces of the republic. That, though, is something the Irish authorities have a plan to […]
UK Draft Rail Reform Bill published to mixed reaction
The 32-page draft Rail Reform Bill very much escaped, rather than launched, on Tuesday, 20 February. On what editors would call “a busy news day”, the procedural legislative launch of a pre-legislative document was somewhat shunted off the front pages. However, the placing before Parliament of a singularly significant set of proposals was eagerly scrutinised […]
Bradshaw Address: UK modal shift port incentives should be extended, says Rail Minister
There is a pioneering scheme at the Port of Southampton, encouraging intermodal logistics customers to switch their loads from road to rail. That scheme should be rolled out across the UK. Rail minister Huw Merriman wants that if the ruling Conservative Party is returned to power in the forthcoming general election. That was a key […]