Freight on TOCs
Government and TOCs should look at how spare capacity on passenger trains could carry freight says InterCity RailFreight.
TRAIN operating companies and the Department for Transport must “grasp the opportunity” to help expand the volume of goods transported by passenger trains, while gaining an additional revenue source.
InterCity RailFreight (ICRF) has various contracts, including taking up spare space inside Great Western Railway HST power cars to deliver fresh fish from Devon and Cornwall to London, for use in high-end restaurants.
Two to three trains a day run with GWR, although this depends on the tide and the supply of fish. ICRF claims that because of the speed of the transfer, fishermen are able to sell their goods for £4 per kg instead of the 70p per kg expected if they went to the local market.
The company has also secured space on East Midlands Trains services to carry patient samples between Nottingham, Leicester and London on behalf of a global pathology business. Up to five EMT trains carry samples between the cities, and ICRF claims that transporting samples by rail has reduced some transit times from around 13 hours to three.
“From a patient’s perspective, being able to get samples into the centre of London at speeds of up to 125mph has enabled the lab to be posting results online back to doctors in hours, not days,” ICRF Managing Director Jeff Screeton told RAIL.
“Seafood is a prime example of where the train can add value. Speed equals freshness, and offers a distinct edge for chefs looking for a better product. For the small fisherman the returns can be much higher, and that means support for local jobs and sustainable fishing.”
Screeton also highlighted the environmental benefits the service brings. He claimed that an average of 75 van journeys a month are saved by transporting samples via rail, the equivalent of 18,600 miles.
He told RAIL that discussions are ongoing with GWR about opening up routes along the M4 ‘corridor’, in order to help serve the NHS. The company is also actively looking at the logistics of handling the transportation of a wider range of time-sensitive materials, including live tissue.
However, the future of the EMT services hangs in the balance, as it is unclear whether the new franchise holder will allow the practice to continue.
RAIL understands that Screeton’s MP, Tom Pursglove, had written to Rail Minister Jo Johnson asking for confirmation that the next franchise agreement will cover the continuation of the traffic. In his reply, Johnson refused to provide that assurance.
“I think the DFT could, and should, do a lot more to help, rather than sitting on the sidelines. And I think ministers should be pressing them to make it happen,” Screeton told RAIL. He added that in some sectors of healthcare, the revenue to a train operator on a small consignment could match that of a medium-distance ticket.
Screeton added there is minimal risk involved for an operator taking on the service, as his firm would be liable if the delivery is delayed.
“If consignments are damaged in transit or trains are taken out of service en route, then the financial liability rests with ICRF,” he explained.
“To this end, the company maintains a comprehensive insurance cover which also enables it to insure consignments at their full value.
“The argument that it’s a lot of grief for little return is starting to look very shallow, when a focus on a lucrative niche market can produce some attractive revenues for very little effort.”