Further calls for Scotland-England timber traffic
UK timber extraction by rail lags behind European practice, but campaigners propose changes that would help redress the balance. Major reserves on the border between England and Scotland are maturing, and environmental and legal considerations are challenging the current preference for road delivery. The industry, however, has yet to be convinced.
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Kronospan also has timber railed in from Baglan Bay in South Wales but on an irregular basis! It’s a pity more timber isn’t carried in the UK !! Shameful in fact when you see huge trucks full of timber on narrow roads in Cornwall and Devon heading east when there’s a parallel railway line practically devoid of any form of rail freight at all!! There was a recent Newton Abbott – Abergavenny timber trial which is a step in right direction ,if it becomes a regular flow.
Kronospan has ordered a 100 more wagons for it EUROPEAN operations !! When one sees EUROPEAN operations it usually tends to mean NOT the UK !! Not good in an article about rail timber operations in the UK !!!
I note the lengths of logs being laboriously transferred by grab
I’ve also looked at demolition & excavation with the idea that a regular 20ft module could switch a lot of this & timber traffic to intermodal with speed, & safety gains
A ½ height box can replace a 32T 4-axle rigid tipper truck, recognised by DfT reports as most destructive vehicles for road pavements, but also an appalling per vehicle per year kill-rate
Remove strengthened chassis, hydraulics pack & HIAB/tipping ram & payload+