West Coast drives Scotland’s huge potential for rail freight growth
The Rail Freight Group, which represents the industry in the UK, has heard that Scotland’s potential for growth could benefit the UK as a whole. Despite that good economic outlook, the Scottish government has decided...Read more
Channel Tunnel freight traffic down, customs handling upwards
Fewer freight trucks used the Channel Tunnel in the first quarter of 2024. The LeShuttle Freight trains carried just under 302,000 trucks between the turn of the year and the end of March. Last year...Read more
Multinational effort supports rail ops at Celsa Steel Cardiff
A Spanish steel company with a production facility in Wales, supported by a British Rail freight company, running Italian locomotives. It’s like Brexit never happened. Nevertheless, the rail services provided by GB Railfreight keep manufacturing...Read more
Grange-over-Sands derailment proved overcomplicated, freight got away with it
Engineers from Network Rail, the British infrastructure agency, have had their work cut out. They have been flat out in their recovery and repair efforts following the train derailment that occurred in Grange-over-Sands on Friday,...Read more
GB Railfreight extends contract with Network Rail
Engineering trains are a significant part of the rail freight sector. They support the entirety of the railway. In Britain, GB Railfreight (GBRf) one of the country’s largest rail freight operators, has extended its contract...Read more
British manufacturer delivers first battery shunter to Freightliner
Freightliner in the UK has taken delivery of a brand new shunting and switching locomotive with a difference. It is entirely battery-powered. The designated Class 18 locomotive has been built by the British manufacturer Clayton,...Read more
Scotland’s Russell Group acquires Freightliner Coatbridge
Glasgow-headquartered Russell Group, also known by variations on the founder’s name, John G. Russell, has bought over the Coatbridge Rail Terminal, currently operated by Freightliner. Insiders have been expecting the move for some time, and...Read more
Fuel supplier Zero offers rail freight industry absolutely nothing
Carbon-neutral synthetic diesel could be just the tonic the rail freight industry is seeking. Operators will have to radically rethink their motive power fleets to meet the stringent net zero carbon ambitions set out in...Read more
UK spark of genius for a net-zero railway by 2050
The Railway Industry Association (RIA) has released an ambitious blueprint titled “Delivering a Lower Cost, Higher Performing Net Zero Railway by 2050”. The Association, which mainly represents the interests of supply chain members, says it...Read more
Maritime appointed rail freight operator at forthcoming West Midlands Interchange
The UK multimodal freight carrier Maritime Transport has been appointed rail freight operator at the West Midlands Interchange. The government-designated strategic rail freight interchange (SRFI) is currently under construction at a site north of Wolverhampton....Read more
Freightliner chief says get costs down for sake of environment
Tim Shoveller, the chief executive of Genesee and Wyoming UK and Europe, less tongue twistingly branded as Freightliner, has bemoaned the rising cost of operating rail freight in the face of environmental issues. On the...Read more
GBRf Southampton to Hams Hall service begins today
GB Railfreight is making good on its promise to introduce a raft of new services and expand its operations. The company inaugurated a new Southampton Docks to Birmingham Hams Hall intermodal service today, Monday, 8...Read more
Derailment makes triple Friday headache for British network
A triumvirate of deep depressions hit British railways on Friday. Commuters into London Paddington and airline travellers heading for Heathrow were grounded by a freight train derailment just after sunrise. In addition, pickets were on...Read more
UK Winvic plans capacity increase at iPort Rail
News of further development work at Doncaster’s iPort Rail has been welcomed as good news for the economy of South Yorkshire. Construction company Winvic claimed it would work to see rail freight capacity enhanced within...Read more
Direct Rail Services roll out new fleet of JNA-Z box wagons
A fleet of 25 brand new JNA-Z box wagons from VTG Rail UK, the British arm of the multi-national freight wagon supplier, has entered traffic for Direct Rail Services (DRS). The wagons were built by...Read more
UK logistics sector seeks rail development from next government
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK, CILT(UK), has an eye on the forthcoming General Election. Even though the date has not yet been set, the industry body is seeking to influence...Read more
Freight targets are a floor for growth and not a ceiling, says UK report
A parliamentary launch for Rail Partners’ report ‘Freight Britain: An engine for green growth’. The document was formally introduced at the Partners’ annual reception event on the Thames-side terrace of the Houses of Parliament. The...Read more
Network Rail’s Easter heavy metal message
Network Rail says the Easter programme of works on the UK rail network should be music to the ears of freight operators. It is delivering around ninety million pounds (105 million euros) of enhancement works...Read more
UK Freight philanthropy: popular charity events return
British freight operators have a noble history of charity support. So it is with no small fanfare that Direct Rail Services has announced the return of its highly popular charity open day. The freight carrier...Read more