3% reduction in volume of rail freight lifted

THERE was a 3% decline in the amount of rail freight lifted in the first quarter of 201718 (Q1 2017-18, April-June), according to Office of Rail and Road statistics released on September 28.

Freight lifted is the mass of goods carried on the network, measured in tonnes and excluding the weight of the locomotive and wagons. It does not take into account distance travelled.

ORR reported that 18.7 million tonnes were moved, a decrease of 3% compared with Q1 2016-17, and the lowest quarterly total since the start of the time series in Q1 199697.

The total number of freight train kilometres fell to eight million kms, which is down 2% (0.2million kms) from the corresponding quarter last year, and the lowest since the series began in Q1 2010-11.

ORR said that DB Cargo and Freightliner Heavy Haul recorded the lowest amount of freight train kilometres since the start of the time series, carrying 3.6 million kms and 0.5 million kms respectively.

ORR said this was partly down to changes in the supply of specific freight contracts. Overall, DBC and Freightliner Intermodal accounted for just over 70% of the freight kms in Q1 2017-18.

Normalised freight delay (measured by calculating the total delay experienced by all UK freight operators divided by train mileage) rose to 10.0 minutes per 100 train kms in Q1 2017-18 Q1. This represents a 3% increase compared with the same period last year.

Overall, the total volume of freight moved in Q1 2017-18 was 4.2 billion net tonne kms, unchanged from the same period last year. Coal recorded the last amount for any quarter (0.24bn net kms).

Of the seven commodities measured, international recorded a 14% increase that was attributed by Eruotunnel to growth in the digital economy.

Metals recorded a 3% increase, perhaps due to increased usage on projects such as Crossrail, while construction experienced a 2% increase. However, there was a 5% drop in oil and petroleum, a 4% decline in coal, a 2% reduction in ‘other’, and a 1% reduction in domestic intermodal.

There were 224,000 freight movements in 2016-17, the lowest since the start of the time series in 2003-04, and a 5% decline from 2015-16. ORR attributed this to the fall in coal traffic. @Clinnick1

ROBERT FRANCE. Source: ORR Freightliner’s 1405 Coatbridge-Crewe Basford Hall intermodal train passes Bay Horse (south of Lancaster) on September 17, hauled by 86638 and 86604. The volume of domestic intermodal dropped in the first quarter of 2017-18. Freightliner, along with DB...