Freightliner’s chief executive, Tim Shoveller, hosted a TV news crew aboard a long-distance intermodal service last week. The journey was the weekend lead for Channel 4 News. It brought an important message to the homes of millions of viewers. Freightliner, and their logistics partners, were making the case for more freight on rail in the UK. They said the biggest challenge was electrification.
Despite notable growth in the rail freight sector. Freightliner and logistics partners DP World Southampton have told a UK television audience that there is still a long way to go. Rail freight still only accounts for less than ten per cent of freight-tonne miles. The principal reason, argued the report, is the lack of overall electrification on the British freight network. Just a few minor projects would make a major change, they say.
Rail has a relatively modest role
Channel 4 chief news correspondent Alex Thomson was a guest aboard a daytime intermodal service between the Port of Southampton and the inland terminal at Coatbridge. The Scottish terminal was recently sold to Glasgow-based Malcolm Group, but Freightliner still operates there as a client.
Channel 4 News noted that the vast majority of intermodal goods arriving at British ports are moved by road. In the UK, only around nine per cent of total freight tonnes are carried by rail. This means that rail plays a relatively modest role in the overall freight transport sector compared to road and maritime transport, which dominate the market.
100km of wires to transform freight
Louise Ward, the director of sustainability at Freightliner, made the stark statement that, despite running a fleet of electric locomotives on their services, Freightliner is required to maintain a much larger fleet of diesels. The simple reason is that Freightliner and other operators find it almost impossible to complete any long-distance haul using electric traction.
The Channel 4 news programme feature, made the argument that rail has a huge growth potential, but it is held back by several challenges. The most obvious, say Channel 4, is the lack of electrification. Tim Shoveller says it would take just sixty miles (less than 100km) of route electrification would transform the outlook for rail freight.
Channel 4 caught out by rail moves
The UK government has set ambitious targets to increase the share of rail freight, aiming for a 75 per cent growth by 2050. This target is part of broader efforts to improve environmental sustainability and reduce road congestion by shifting more freight transport from road to rail. If that ambition is to be achieved, maybe some of those freight trains should be carrying components for electrification.
Channel 4 recently moved its newsroom from London to Leeds. Part of their reason was the expectation of HS2, Britain’s high-speed rail network, coming to that north of England city. Sadly, one of their first reports from Leeds was the cancellation of that project. Hopefully, the TV station will have better news to report on the freight sector.