Monday 1 Jun 2009
MULTI-MILLION POUND RAIL PROJECT TAKES A WEIGHT OFF OUR ROADS
- Region & Route:
Thousands of lorry journeys have been eliminated and more than one hundred jobs safeguarded following the successful completion of a project to connect a freight terminal to the main rail arteries in the region for the handling of 'big box' containers.
The £2.7m project saw Network Rail lower the railway track under two listed bridges in the Whitacre Heath area to enable the haulage of the larger ISO High Cube 9’6” 'big box' containers by rail to the Birmingham International Freight Terminal (BIFT) at Birch Coppice, close to the M42 in North Warwickshire.
The project included £1m from regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands, which supported the work through its £14million Regional Infrastructure Fund.
Jo Kaye, route director said: “This is a great example of our determination to get more freight off the roads and onto our rail network."
Work started on site in January 2009 and was finished in four months with the first train travelling along the line on 11th May 2009. Freightliner immediately introduced a new 'big box' service between Tilbury and Birch Coppice, instantly reducing the number of lorries on the road. GB Freightliner have announced their commitment to a new daily Felixstowe service, which alongside the introduction of a Frieght Liner service for Felixstowe will reduce carbon emissions and road congestion even further.
Darren Cope, partnerships manager at Advantage West Midlands, said: “Transport is one of the key priorities of the West Midlands Economic Strategy and this project and the investment by Advantage West Midlands will have a positive impact on the region’s transport network.
“The future of the terminal at Birch Coppice has been secured with 120 jobs safeguarded, while our transport infrastructure has been further modernised and carbon dioxide emissions reduced, by 963 tonnes over three years and 4,000 tonnes over 10 years, which are all fantastic results.
“Companies in the West Midlands and around North Warwickshire will be less dependent on road freight transport to move goods and will be helped to maintain a competitive edge with a greener and more efficient logistics solution.
“Rail solutions are once again the way forward. It is important that we are able to react on behalf of business and ensure that major infrastructure can be put into place to support them in their international trade.”
Roadways Container Logistics Limited also contributed £120k to the works:
Nick Matthews, commercial director, Roadways Container Logistics said:
“Through the continued investment in rail infrastructure Roadways Container Logistics is delighted to be able to take into active role in the regenertion of the UKs rail freight sector. Our inland terminals attract much needed jobs to the area as well as scoring high on the environmental green card."
This forms part of a complex project which aims to clear routes from the container ports of Southampton and Felixstowe to the inland terminals in the West Midlands including BIFT. Network Rail is tasked with delivering the £55m scheme and is carrying out work at 55 sites between Southampton and Nuneaton to enable the larger, modern containers preferred by many global shipping firms to be efficiently transported by rail across the whole of the UK.
Currently around 28% of containers that come into the Port of Southampton are moved by rail, however, in order increase this, it will be necessary for the railway to be able to carry the more modern 9' 6" or 'high-cube' containers, which are the most economical method for shipping goods, particularly from the USA and the Far East.
Just one freight train running Monday to Friday can take 22,000 trucks off the equivalent road network per year.
Notes to editors
• Track engineers had to cut the old track into panel sections, unload these from site using a train. They then dug out the old ballast, unloaded a new bottom layer of stone and compacted it to create a base for the new track. A culvert was removed and new drainage was created before the new track panels were laid and then clamped. New ballast was dropped onto the track before the track was profiled, tamped and stressed and the project was completed. • The UK rail network was largely constructed in the Victorian times, so was designed to take trains that were smaller in height and width. Therefore, in order for trains to carry larger loads, such as high-cube containers, we need to make sure there is enough clearance around the track so the trains can pass through bridges, tunnels or station canopies safely without hitting them. • It is important that rail remains an efficient, cost-effective way of transporting freight. Upgrading the route from Southampton to Nuneaton to meet the needs of the 21st century will achieve this. In addition, it will help meet the Government's objectives to ease traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions by transferring freight from road to rail. • Deep sea shipping companies are progressively moving to 9’-6” high containers as a means of maximising the volume/payload per container. Within the next 5-10 years it is expected that the bulk of containers accessing the UK will be of this size. Currently the UK rail network is not designed to carry these larger containers whereas 8’-6” containers can be moved freely. For rail to maintain its competitive edge it is essential that the operation is kept as efficient as possible given the tight cost/box haulage margins that exist between road and rail. • Inland movement of container traffic from the UK ports is either by rail or by road. Currently rail has a mode share of, typically, between 20 and 30% with the remainder being carried by road. Rail is the ideal modal choice for the movement of this traffic as it offers volume and “just in time” delivery benefits and also produces much lower carbon emissions. • Container traffic represents one of the two key UK rail freight flows. Government policy is to promote a shift of freight transport from road to rail wherever possible. Providing rail has the ability to efficiently handle the larger containers it is ideally positioned to support this Government objective. However in order to achieve this it is essential to enhance the UK loading gauge to a minimum of W10 gauge. Advantage West Midlands is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England whose role is to transform the English regions through sustainable economic development. For more information visit: www.advantagewm.co.uk
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