Freight Group seeks EC assurances on freight moves

The European Commission has been urged by the Rail Freight Group to uphold current industry standards and agreed directives.

The RFG wants the EC to give railway undertakings to have a 12-month transitional period following Brexit, to allow for sufficient time for concluding the necessary licensing requirements.

It warns there is a risk of severe disruption to freight services should the UK leave the European Union in a ‘no-deal’ scenario.

The EC has come up with contingency proposals, but the RFG warns these focus exclusively on the validity of safety licences for cross-border rail infrastructure managers.

RFG Director General Maggie Simpson said: “Although we hope that the UK Government and the EU will avoid a no-deal exit, we must have the necessary provisions in place to ensure that vital rail freight trains can continue to operate.

“We welcome the move from the Commission to start establishing this framework, but this must be concluded as a matter of urgency and include all the necessary provisions to keep trains moving.”

The RFG said in a statement that its proposal would also ensure that contingency measures for rail are equivalent to those for road and air transport.

For road, it explained that the EC’s contingency measures would allow UK-licensed lorries and coaches to continue to provide basic road services to and from the EU for nine months. For air transport, the contingency measures would allow air carriers licensed in the UK to continue to provide basic services between nine and 12 months.