Construction and domestic inteermodal lead rail freight upturn
THERE has been an upturn in the amount of freight carried by rail, according to figures released by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
ORR statistics for July-September 2017 (Q2, 2017-18), released on December 21, state that the total volume of rail freight moved during Q2 increased to 4.3 billion net tonne kilometres.
Construction and domestic intermodal both recorded record volumes of 1.13 billion and 1.72 billion net tonne kilometres respectively, during this period. ORR attributes the rise in construction to “increased demand for materials for housing repair and maintenance being moved by rail freight”, while the domestic intermodal increase “may be driven by growth in the retail sector increasing demand for goods moved by rail freight”.
Together, the two commodities accounted for around two-thirds of rail freight moved in Q2 2017-18. This is compared with Q2 201314, when the same commodities accounted for 44% of rail freight moved.
Meanwhile, the once-dominant commodity of coal continues to decline, falling 13% in Q2 2017-18 compared with the corresponding three-month period in 2016-17,
against a 23% rise in ‘other’, which includes biomass and mail. ORR says the decline “follows policy decisions to switch to more renewable fuel sources that have greatly reduced the use and transportation of coal over the last four years”.
While ORR highlighted the rise of construction and domestic intermodal in its most recent statistics, their growths of 2% and 1% respectively were not the highest increase recorded for the period. Indeed, that was ‘other’ at 23%, followed by international at 10%. The increase for the former took the volume carried to 0.45 billion net tonne kilometres, while the latter is up to 0.12 billion net tonne kilometres. Eurotunnel reported cross-channel traffic achieving record levels during the period.
Both metals and oil and petroleum recorded a decrease in volume moved, with drops of 6% and 3% respectively.
In total, 18.4 million tonnes of freight were lifted in Q2 2017-18, a decrease of 3% compared with the corresponding quarter the year before, and the lowest since records began in 1996-97.
Freight train delays rose to 11.9 minutes per 100 train kilometres, up 15% on the previous year. Figures also showed that fewer freight trains were arriving at their final destination within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, compared with the same quarter last year. The next round of figures due in the spring will likely show a further decrease in performance, as delays tend to peak in Q3 and Q4 each year, coinciding with expected periods of adverse weather during autumn and winter.
Total freight train kilometres also recorded a slight reduction (0.01 million kilometres) compared with 2016-17. This was down 3% on the previous year, and the lowest since records began in 2010.
DB Cargo and Freightliner Heavy Haul recorded their lowest volume of freight train kilometres since records started. DB was 3.5 million kilometres (down 8%), while FLHH was 0.5 million kilometres (down 23%). The other operator to experience a decline was Direct Rail Services, which dropped 3% to 0.4 million kms.
Four companies experienced an increase in the volume of freight train kilometres. Freightliner Intermodal increased 7% to 2.4 million kilometres, GBRf rose 20% to 1.4 million kilometres, and both Colas Railfreight and Devon and Cornwall Railways rose 27% to 0.3 million kilometres and 0.00 million kilometres respectively. For DCR, the figure is that small the ORR still recorded it as 0.00. Its freight was limited to stock moves and working with Rail Operations Group.
The respective rises and falls can be attributed to the number of contracts that switched between operators, ORR points out.
“Rail freight has a key role in servicing industry in a safer, cleaner way which reduces road congestion and improves productivity,” said Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail Manager at Campaign for Better Transport.
“New research shows that transferring a further 2,000 lorry loads a day to rail where there is a parallel rail route, such as the A34, M6 and A14, could reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by 10% and particulates by 7% on each corridor if the Government upgraded the rail network.”