Electrify to fend off road challenges - Freightliner

Rail freight provider Freightliner has called on Network Rail and Government to fund the electrification of routes to ensure the industry does not fall behind road transport.

Speaking at a Westminster Transport Forum dedicated to discussing the future of railway infrastructure, Lindsay Durham, head of rail strategy at Freightliner, said rail’s advantages could diminish if steps are not taken now.

“Electrifying just a few routes on the strategic freight network - such as Felixstowe to Nuneaton and the line to London Gateway Port - would enable freight operators to plan to invest in new electric locomotives. This would be a great example of the public and private sector working together,” she told delegates.

“Our challenge is that our locomotives last 30 years whereas lorries are replaced every eight years - they can move onto the new technology quicker.”

According to Durham, average delays on the strategic road network is estimated to be nine seconds per vehicle per mile, while only 4.4 seconds of unplanned delay times were caused by freight trains last year, meaning rail freight is far more efficient at transporting goods than by road.

Durham also called on Network Rail to reduce the unit cost of ETCS systems (it is estimated it costs around £150,000 to fit the system to a Class 66/67 locomotive) as soon as possible, adding the digital systems should reduce running costs.

“In moving towards more efficient controls, we should aim to reduce the energy we use by carefully controlling trains more than at present,” she said.