East Midlands Regional Assembly

Rail Freight

Opportunities for Maximising Modal Shift to Rail Freight

In its 10 Year Plan, Government set a challenging national target for rail freight growth (tonne kilometres) of 80% over the period to 2010. State of Freight in the East Midlands concluded that this equated to a 42% increase in tonnage, which it represented as an increase from 113 to 143 in the number of daily 500 tonne freight trains originating or terminating in the region.

Although the national target was not repeated in the recent White Papers, it was useful regionally in gaining a perception of the scale of the task to enable its inclusion as the basis for RPG Policy and in RPG’s Core Indicators. This target caused some concern amongst stakeholders as it was frequently interpreted too rigidly, and the target has therefore been reassessed. It should be noted, however, that any tonnage indicator needs to be related to the density of the commodity and thus number of trains, and how this might impact on system capacity.

State of Freight in the East Midlands identified a number of significant constraints that would need to be removed if the target was
to be achieved, including:-

Capacity “pinch points” on the network that limit the number of trains that can be handled and thus constrain growth,
Limited availability of routes cleared for standard 9’6” containers,
Scarcity of inter-modal freight terminals providing general access to the network, and of dedicated rail connections to specific traffic generators/consumers. This is arguably the most important constraint on growth, also addressed by specific objectives within the Regional Economic Strategy.
The East Midlands Regional Freight Group can play a key role here in highlighting opportunities and developing schemes (where appropriate) for consideration under the regional prioritisation process. Key to this will be engaging positively with the rail authorities, particularly DfT Rail and Network Rail, following the reorganisation of the industry structure.

Further research commissioned by EMRA has confirmed the potential, originally identified in State of Freight in the East Midlands, for the Region’s food industry, particularly in the Eastern Sub-area, to make greater use of railfreight. This is subject to a number of technical and other barriers being addressed, which will be appropriate for the EMRFG to pursue.

Whilst facilities such as DIRFT and EUROHUB provide good access to the rail
network in the south of the Region, State of Freight in the East Midlands noted particularly the lack of, and opportunities for, an inter-modal terminal for the Three Cities Sub-area. It identified potential for some 29 new daily freight trains given improved direct rail access. SRA’s Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy, March 2004, concluded that the Region was “currently
well provided for by existing interchange capacity and there is no immediate perceived need for new capacity but it will need development of interchange capacity during the first term of the 10 year plan.” New evidence suggests such need can now be demonstrated and it is therefore proposed to progress this, see Action Plan 5.4.

State of Freight in the East Midlands also identified that the greatest opportunities for modal shift from road to rail in the Region were from through traffic.

Whilst modal shift to rail is generally associated with reducing environmental impacts, it is noted that rail freight is not of course without impacts of its own, which must be considered.

The issue of modal shift to rail in connection with airfreight is considered at 6.3 and 6.4.

KEY POLICY 5:

Regional and local partners to work together to identify and promote opportunities to achieve a significant shift from road to rail freight.

TARGET:

By 2015 the tonnage per annum carried by freight trains originating or terminating in the region should increase by 4.5 million tonnes over 2005 levels, represented by an extra 30 trains per day.

	Action Plan	Lead Partner	Supporting Partner	Timescale
5.1	Planning for future expansion Planning for future expansion Promote through provisions within the Regional Spatial Strategy, and through EMRFG’s liaison activities, commercial development, where appropriate, at sites which are or have the potential to be rail-connected; generally a mix of industries will give the best chance for viability of such connections.	EMRA, EMRFG	DfT Rail, NR Local Planning Authorities SSPs	Q3 2005/6 and ongoing
5.2	To facilitate 5.1: a) Identify and encourage through Local Plans and Local Development Frameworks, safeguarding of land adjacent to active or disused railway alignments where industrial development is being promoted, and; b) Identify and encourage protection of disused railway alignments from development where these may have potential for reopening for freight traffic, and; c) Ensure DfT Rail and Network Rail are aware of and are encouraged to maintain, as appropriate, the capability of active lines for serving connected industrial development, including any lines designated as Community Railways.	EMRFG EMRA Local Planning Authorities	DfT Rail, NR Network Rail	Ongoing and feeding into RSS review from Q3 2005/6
5.3	Promoting access to the rail network Promote growth at existing rail terminals serving the region through ongoing liaison with terminal operators and existing and potential customers, to take maximum advantage of existing investments.	EMRFG	DfT Rail, NR, emda	ongoing
5.4	Address the need for new sub-regional inter-modal terminals capable of handling typical swap body and ISO container load units, particularly within the Three Cities Sub-area, assessing initially the potential sites identified by the State of Freight Report, and taking forward findings. Also progress opportunities for smaller transfer facilities, and to secure existing provision. EMRA is currently working with Nottinghamshire County Council and other partners to examine the commercial feasibility of a site at Toton. Research suggests strong new evidence of demand for such facilities, counter to earlier rail industry findings. Such work will need to be mindful of the effects of any reactivated terminals on new residential areas adjacent, and of the practical opportunities for rail connection from areas designated for industry. It is important that any potential rail distribution centre is fully assessed to minimise the overall environmental, landscape and transport impact.	EMRA	EMRFG DfT Rail, NR Local Transport Authorities	Q3 2005/6 and 2006/7
5.5	Encouraging new and expanded fl ows Identify potential new rail freight traffi c as highlighted by the State of Freight Report and recent research, and in particular, progress detailed work to unlock the potential for modal shift to rail freight for the food distribution sector.	EMRA	EMRFG, DfT Rail, NR emda, Food Industry	Q4 2005/6 and 2006/7
5.6	Pro-actively address the major opportunities for modal shift from road to rail in traffi c passing through the Region, as well as that originating or terminating therein. This will involve sustaining a positive ongoing dialogue with the rail freight industry, its customers and potential customers, and neighbouring regions in order to increase understanding of its issues, and seeking to encourage appropriate specific and general infrastructure enhancements of the rail network.	EMRFG	DfT Rail, NR Regional Assemblies	ongoing
5.7	Improving the Network Engage with partners to identify rail infrastructure constraints on growth such as gauge, capacity and availability of diversionary routes and where action to address these would result in worthwhile benefits, prioritise such outcomes in the RTS and promote them accordingly with DfT Rail and NR.	EMRFG EMRA	DfT Rail, NR Regional Assemblies	ongoing
5.8	Loading Gauge Enhancements In relation to 5.7 promote the case for gauge enhancements on routes within (and to) the region to facilitate the movement of ISO containers, and the development of new intermodal terminals.	EMRA EMRFG	DfT Rail, NR Regional Assemblies	Q4 2005/6 then ongoing
5.9	Support 5.7 through inputting positively to the following medium-to-long-term rail planning opportunities managed by DfT Rail and NR :- • Route Utilisation Studies (RUS) • Regional Planning Assessments (RPA) • Franchise Renewals (to ensure the present and future needs of rail freight are considered along with passenger rail developments).	EMRA EMRFG	DfT Rail, NR Regional Assemblies	As required.
5.10	Ensure that opportunities for trans-regional fl ows are not constrained outside the Region by liaison with adjoining regions, input to their RPG/ RSS/RTS processes, and input to adjoining RUSs and RPAs.	EMRFG, EMRA	DfT Rail, NR	Ongoing
5.11	Lobby Government to resume funding through Freight Facilities Grant in recognition of its importance in catalysing rail freight development schemes, and act as a central regional source of advice on the fund.	EMRA, EMRFG		As required
5.12	Assess implications for the Region of any further proposal by Central Railway to progress its Liverpool-Lille intermodal railfreight scheme or similar schemes.	EMRA EMRFG		As required
5.13	Identify the regional pattern of “bridge strikes” and other incursions, and with Network Rail, Local Transport Authorities and the road haulage industry develop an appropriate action plan to minimise both their incidence and their effect on both road and rail routes. This should include exploring links with the freight atlas proposals action plan 2.3.	EMRFG	Network Rail Local Transport Authorities Road Haulage Industry	2006/7

Last updated: 8th March 2007