Modal shift for Solent-Midlands freight
Ground-breaking industry report considers rail and road markets in parallel.
NETWORK Rail and Highways England have published an initial plan for a multi-modal strategy for freight movements between the Solent area and Midlands, where a high volume of container traffic originating from Southampton dominates current rail traffic.
This is a first in that infrastructure planning and investment covering rail and road are considered as a whole, as the A34 trunk road and rail infrastructure are effectively parallel routes. At this stage the plan is focused on understanding the current state of the market and predicting future demand.
It assesses how modal shift from road to rail can free up road capacity in the corridor for local road journeys by transferring bulk loads with transits exceeding 50 miles, and 100 miles for consumer goods conveyed by intermodal services.
The rail route is not electrified throughout, which reduces its competitive advantage in terms of the potential for cutting train haulage costs and lower carbon emissions.
There was a proposal to create an electrified spine that would provide wiring between Basingstoke and Nuneaton via Reading, Oxford, Coventry and Nuneaton to allow throughout electric operation to destinations reached by the West Coast Main Line.
It was also originally anticipated that the rebuilt East-West Railway would be electrified, allowing access to the Midland Main Line at Bedford to reach conurbations in the East Midlands.
The electric spine proposed the conversion of third rail current collection to 25kV overhead wiring between Southampton and Basingstoke, but the idea was not well received by either the passenger or freight operators, as in both cases the rolling stock in use was incompatible with the proposed change. This situation continues to apply.
It is hard to see how a business case can be made for conversion of the present third rail, as in terms of power collection the efficiency benefit of the overhead system is recognised to be not more than a gain of 15%.
This margin disappears when passenger rolling stock conversion costs are factored in. And for freight, available well-established traction technology demonstrates the capability to use both current collection systems.
As an aside, it has emerged that in-fill electrification of the remaining un-electrified former Southern Region routes is being considered as part of future plans, with third rail current collection being seen as a much cheaper option than providing overhead wiring.
■ A new initiative aimed at benefitting freight operations is an experiment being carried out at Dunbar, where the sidings serving the Oxwellmains cement works are being equipped with a system of movable overhead catenary which can be retracted after a train arrival using electric power to enable safe loading and unloading. Developed by Furrer+Frey, who are experienced providers of overhead line equipment, the project is being funded by Innovate UK and the DfT.