UK Freightliner urges government to triple rail freight volumes by 2050
Freightliner, the UK part of American freight and logistics corporation Genesee & Wyoming, says the government in London should set a long-term target to triple rail freight volumes by 2050. The company emphasises that such...Read more
Selling HS2 land will stunt rail freight says infrastructure chief
The Campaign for Better Transport says to stop the rush to sell off HS2 land. The influential lobby group has added its voice to the urgent call to put a hold on the headlong disposal...Read more
Sun setting for Scottish oil refinery, but rail freight may see a new dawn
Scotland’s Ineos Grangemouth Oil Refinery, a key player in the nation’s energy landscape, is set to cease operations by 2025, raising concerns about the potential impact on rail freight traffic and the regional economy. Regular...Read more
UK construction traffic reaches all-time high in latest freight figures
Whatever else may be negatively affecting the UK economy, the country is doing its best to build back better. Whatever catchphrase may be uttered by the politicians of the day, they all point to one...Read more
Varamis at the double as the express logistics operator adds to its fleet
Twice as nice. The fledgling all-electric express logistics operator Varamis Rail has doubled the strength of its dedicated fleet overnight from one to two units. As far as founder and live wire Phil Read is...Read more
With a fleet of new wagons, Drax remains Britain’s ‘biomassive’
British manufacturer WH Davis is supplying a fleet of thirty new biomass wagons for the Drax power station complex. The former coal-fired generating station, which now defines itself as the United Kingdom’s largest renewable electricity...Read more
UK legal review for St Albans Radlett rail freight terminal proposals
The long-running argument over a home-counties rail freight terminal continues in the UK. Campaigners against plans for a new rail freight interchange on the site of the former Radlett airfield near St Albans say they...Read more
UK rail minister commits investment to freight
Huw Merriman, who holds the rail portfolio in the UK government, has pledged to a number of projects which will directly benefit rail freight operations. Most prominently, he said that the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement...Read more
Red granite from Scotland, green trains to the world
The rich red granite that runs through the Lanarkshire hills of Scotland is the feedstock for Cloburn Quarry. That distinctive stone has found uses throughout Scotland, the rest of the UK, and Europe. Best of...Read more
The UK faced a challenging year says Rail Freight Group head
This has been a year of resilience and recuperation. Those were the keynote themes at the Christmas gathering of the Rail Freight Group, the industry’s representative body in the UK. The director general of the...Read more
Britain’s DCRail boosts heavy haul capability
DCRail has moved to enhance its bulk and heavy haul freight capabilities. The rail freight arm of the Cappagh Group has finalised an agreement to acquire Class 56 locomotive 56301 from Class 56 Locomotives Limited....Read more
UK Hope Valley Upgrade bridges Bamford gap
The Hope Valley freight main line and passenger community lifeline is approaching the endgame of a multi-year upgrade project. Recent line closures have seen major work completed, with key milestones hit by the project team,...Read more
Network Rail Wales under investigation for its bad performance
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is launching an investigation into services in Wales. They say there is persistently poor punctuality and reliability, affecting both freight and passenger trains within the Network Rail Wales...Read more
TRIG funding triggers 3Squared’s freight PathPlanner project
Railway technology specialists 3Squared, headquartered in Sheffield, have put to good use their award from the UK Government-backed Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme. The recently concluded round of applications, which closed last week,...Read more
Maritime goes shopping for Tesco trains
They have been collaborating for thirteen years, but they have finally come out and made it public. In a move they have both called ‘strategic’, Maritime Transport has officially taken over the rail operations on...Read more
England’s Midland Main Line given all clear after landslip scare
A call to Network Rail’s response unit on the afternoon of Monday, 27 November, sounded the alarm for the Midland Main Line. A passing express driver vigilantly notified the infrastructure manager of an unexpected movement...Read more
Freight considered in integrated rail future for Greater Manchester
It has been something of the poor cousin to Manchester’s famously successful tram network. Traditional heavy rail in the region has lagged behind in popularity and reliability. However, now, with radical changes promised in the...Read more
UK port charges too costly and unfair, says GB Railfreight chief
The CEO of GB Railfreight, John Smith, has voiced concerns over loading charges imposed by major UK container ports. He has labelled those charges as uneconomic because, in his view, they are hindering the rail...Read more
Colas Rail enters French rail freight market with new subsidiary
Colas Rail, a rail company active in the United Kingdom, can now carry out traction and freight operations in France. This will be possible through its newest subsidiary, Colas Rail Traction, which recently obtain its...Read more