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RFG News – Issue 133 – December 2018

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133 December 2018 NEWSHelping ensure a sustainable future for UK rail freight www.rfg.org.uk Transpennine upgrade: Freight sidelined again Disappointment as freight will not be included P.2 in £2.9bn Transpennine rail upgrade plans RFG sets out tests for successful railway Rail Freight Group (RFG) has voiced its With our members, we put together a 20-30 reform concerns and frustration over news that year traffic projection and passed it to DfT the upgrade and electrification of the last May. We have confidence in the market Transpennine route will not include pro- and that traffic will run to the quantity we vision for freight trains. project. It now looks like all of that is going to have to continue to go onto the M62 to The route is widely accepted to be crucial to get across the Pennines.” the ongoing economic development of the region and shifting goods from the already Mike told The Guardian that currently only congested M6 motorway. half a dozen or so trains travel on the route each day, mainly outside the passenger In interviews with the Yorkshire Post and service times, while 48 was perfectly possi- The Guardian newspapers RFG’s North of ble running six days a week. He added that P.3 England Representative Mike Hogg voiced ‘significant investments’ had been made by PD Ports celebrates his concerns. the major ports at Liverpool, in the Humber 4th anniversary of rail and in the North East for the handling and terminal “We are very disappointed and dissatisfied transfer to rail and that demand was only with the recommendation,” he told the York- going to rise. • shire Post. “We cannot see the rationale. RFG welcomes new Network Rail boss to its Christmas Lunch Article on page 5. P.10 DB Cargo unveils new cargo tracking app Xmas Lunch photo gallery inside on P6-8. P.12 RFG’s 2019 Events Calendar unveiled RFG News Dec 2018 Executive Director’s Update: Maggie Simpson email your comments to [email protected] demand for passenger trains still dominates thinking, and with 2019 already Government decisions often made at Ministerial level, the set to be a ability to leverage freight can be frustrating. The Williams Review, which is currently underway, will have busy year to look at these kinds of challenges, not just for freight but right across the railway. How can structure incentivise the By Maggie Simpson, Director General, right behaviours, and ensure that those with the incentives Rail Freight Group (RFG) also have the authority to act and deliver? RFG has had some initial meetings with the review team, and published a position Recently I met with the new Rail paper on freight outcomes (article below) and we will continue Minister Andrew Jones for an intro- to provide input to the review. ductory discussion on rail freight. Andrew was previous- ly a transport minister with responsibility for road freight, There is also a Call for Evidence open for submissions and so has some knowledge of the topic and we had a good I would encourage you to submit your thoughts on how the discussion on the opportunities for rail freight growth, structure of the railway can support freight growth (page 4). and on the need for positive messages about the success of our sector. As well as the Williams Review, Andrew Haines the new CEO at Network Rail is undertaking his own 100-day review of the In my experience, politicians from all parties are almost organisation, from which he will no doubt make some changes always strongly supportive of a growth in rail freight, under- to how the business operates. Andrew was kind enough to standing the environmental and economic benefits of using be our Guest of Honour at the Christmas lunch and made an rail. The debate on Brexit, as intransigent as it is, has also excellent speech showing his support for our sector. We will brought home the importance of freight, of ports and of trans- look forward to working with him and the Network Rail team port links in a way never before seen. This has been reflected over the coming months, and watching to ensure that freight in many of the meetings that RFG has had this year, and in users remain at the forefront of their thinking. the support we get. This edition of RFG News is our last for 2018, and I would like The challenge for the rail freight sector is perhaps therefore in to thank you all for subscribing, and for your support of our converting that high level of support into the right decisions and activities over the last 12 months. 2019 already looks to be choices when it comes to investment and services. Here there another busy year, and we look forward to seeing you at one is growing frustration for freight operators, with issues such of our events in the months ahead. as the North Transpennine upgrade, where freight has been removed from the development remit, and West Coast where In the meantime, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and there are still no answers on how freight will be affected by best wishes for a prosperous and successful new year. • the addition of HS2 trains. The political necessity of satisfying RFG sets out tests for successful railway reform Rail Freight Group (RFG) has published a position paper ‘Rail Freight Outcomes in Rail Review’ that sets out the key freight asks of the Williams Rail Review, announced by Government last month. Rail freight delivers economic and environmental benefits worth £1.7bn to the UK each year and is forecast to grow further in coming year. Customers of rail freight, who include industrial, retail and logistics companies see rail as a funda- mental part of their supply chains and want to ensure that they can grow their rail presence and their businesses. The paper highlights the conditions that need to be met if the review is to work for the freight sector, which include placing freight customers at the heart of the industry, and ensuring that any new structures actively support a growth of rail freight. Maggie Simpson, Director General, RFG, said: “The Wil- liams Review is fundamental to the future of UK rail and of all those who use the network. Our position paper sets out a framework for assessing potential options for structural reform to consider how the needs of freight customers will be addressed.” Click here to download the position paper. 2 Details on new Rail News in brief: Sector Deal released • HMRC has shared The details of a Rail Sector Deal between the the second letter it has industry and the Government have now been sent to traders with actions published. that can be taken now to prepare for any poten- The Rail Sector Deal looks to build on the strong tial no-deal exit from the partnership working between the rail sector and EU. The letter asks busi- the government to increase the efficiency of how nesses that trade with the technology is used and to exploit the opportuni- EU, and are not already ties of those new technologies when looking to registered for customs, to increase capacity and improve the overall cus- prepare by registering for tomer experience for passengers and freight a UK Economic Operator users alike. Registration and Identi- fication (EORI) number Please see page 16 for more on the Deal. and decide whether they will use a customs agent. Click here to download the Industrial Strate- Click here for the details. gy document. • PD Ports has launched a new bespoke Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA) with Teesside University to support the development of future leaders for the port and logistics operator. This is the second degree programme it has collabo- rated on with the university. • DB Cargo UK was recently named Rail Freight Operator of the Year at the Global Freight Awards 2018 in London. Its Head of Innovation and Strategy Kathryn Oldale received the award on the company’s behalf and said: “This is a huge ac- colade for DB Cargo UK and is recognition of all the continued hard work PD Ports has added two Scottish services at and commitment of all our Teesport, the latest arriving at the port in the last Teesport’s £3m rail employees. month following “overwhelming popularity” of the first. This second service opens up further Terminal is 4! Fargo Systems has opportunities to connect importers and export- • announced it has won a PD Ports is celebrating the fourth anniversa- ers with the north of the UK. ry of the opening of its Teesport Intermodal new deal with iPort Rail, supplying market-leading Rail Terminal. Frans Calje, PD Ports’ CEO, said: “With an logistics software for the increasing need for intermodal transport in the state-of-the-art rail termi- Seeing considerable growth in containers year- UK, the rail terminal has grown in popularity and nal. It is implementing Far- on-year, PD Ports launched the £3m terminal on we’ve invested our time into establishing further go’s successful CYMAN 15 November 2014, offering services to Felix- connections to support our customers’ supply platform, a comprehensive stowe and Southampton, expanding the port’s chains. Now we are the leading rail hub in the container and yard man- hinterland connectivity. north for European and global exporters and agement software solution importers trading with the North. Four years on, the ports group said using rail to and TOPS (Transport Or- der Planning System) for move goods around the county continues to be He added: “As we continue our efforts to grow all its terminal operations.
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