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
UK economic picture reflected in rocky rail freight stats
In its quarterly review, the Office of Rail and Road has revealed statistics highlighting the impact of the UK’s economic position on freight rail usage and performance from January to March 2023. The data indicates...Read moreQuarterly figures make lacklustre reading for UK rail freight
Freight transport in Great Britain suffered a sharp decline in the last quarter of 2022. That’s according to the latest data released by the Office for Rail and Road (ORR). The figures show that 3,70...Read more
Freight driver sentenced to 8 months imprisonment for causing crash
A driver working for a British freight operator has been given a jail sentence for causing a crash with a passenger train. The accident, almost two years ago and during lockdown procedures, resulted in a...Read more
UK Strikes affect latest rail freight figures
The latest figures from the Office of Rail and Road say that the long-running disputes in the railway industry have affected the volumes and performance in the rail freight sector. This comes despite the sector...Read more
Sparks still to fly for Britain’s electric fleet
UK electric hauled freight has shown little change over the past ten years. That’s according to new figures just released by the Office of Rail and Road, the government-appointed independent watchdog. In terms of weight...Read more
‘Scotland freight performance good, rest of report card below par’
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the autonomous government safety and performance watchdog, has assessed Network Rail Scotland as part of a nationwide review. The annual report card is not good reading for the...Read more
UK freight rail usage and performance bounces back in first quarter of 2022
The latest set of statistics from the UK office of Rail and Road paint a rosy picture of rail freight recovery from the pandemic. However, the pandemic does skew the statistics and longer term trends...Read more
Domestic UK freight traffic recovers but international fails to follow
Official figures from the Office of Rail and Road point to a recovery in the rail freight sector. The latest quarterly statistics show traffic has recovered to levels seen before the onset of the pandemic....Read more
UK rail safety report says the industry can do better
There is always room for improvement. That is the note on a sheaf of end-of-term report card on the UK rail network. Both the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and the Rail Safety and...Read more
Record fine after child dies at UK freight terminal
WH Malcolm Limited has been fined 6,5 million pounds (7,7 million euros) after being found guilty of negligence over the death of an eleven-year-old boy in 2017. The case comes to light just as the...Read more
Long view of UK quarterly figures encourages the rail freight market
The official UK government figures, issued by the Office of Rail and Road, show expected retrenchment in rail freight activity. Much of that is attributed directly to the pandemic. Consequently, signs of recovery are there,...Read more
UK rail freight figures show slight decline
The latest figures from the Office of Rail and Road crept out in the first week of March. They show a slight decline in freight traffic metrics on Britain’s railways. The fourth quarter will likely...Read more
Freight on target but Network Rail warned
The Office of Rail and Road, the oversight body in the UK, has said it is investigating the performance of Network Rail, the infrastructure manager for most of the network, and has issued a warning...Read more
Steep decline in coal demand sees UK rail freight down
A big decline in demand for coal movements was a key factor in rail freight falling significantly in the UK during 2016/17, according to official figures. Rail freight moved fell to 17.2 billion net tonne...Read more
Rail safety course for construction workers is ‘ideal opportunity’
The Rail Freight Group (RFG) has welcomed a new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry. Shaped by the RFG’s own construction working group, the course is targeting those working...Read more
Intermodal up but UK rail freight down overall
Rail freight volumes in the UK towards the end of 2016 were down almost three per cent on the same period for 2015, new figures show. The Office for Rail and Road (ORR) says 4.42...Read more
Rail Freight Group concerns over possible modal grant cut
The Rail Freight Group says it is ‘concerned’ at suggestions the budget for rail freight grants in the UK could be reduced. It follows a report that the Government’s mode shift revenue support (MSRS) grant had...Read more