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news 123 April 2017
Helping ensure a sustainable future for UK rail freight
UK rail freight goes global with China export trainBritainrsquos first truly global rail freight export arrives in Yiwu
P3 RFG publishes its annual rail freight handbook
wwwrfgorguk
P15 Coming up with the goods - the story of rail freight
P7 Report on the 25th Annual Rail Freight Conference
P4 First train arrives for Sirius Minerals
The first ever UK to China export train completed its journey on 1 May having de-parted London on 10 April laden with Brit-ish goods bound for Chinese consumers
The 88-container block train lsquoEast Windrsquo completed the 7500 mile journey to Yiwu in the Zhejiang province of eastern China with only a minor delay It departed DP World Lon-don Gatewayrsquos state-of-the-art rail terminal in South Essex and travelled through seven countries carrying drinks vitamins pharma-ceuticals and baby products The train hauled by DB Cargo on its first leg had an amazing send off with gathered dignitaries including Ms Liming Liang Vice Governor of the Zhejiang province Rupert Soames the UK Prime Ministerrsquos Business Ambassador for Infrastructure and Transport DP World Group Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem the Mayor of Yiwu Mr Shi Wenzhen and Xubin Feng Chairman of Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment Co
The gathered group watched as the last three containers were loaded onto the wagons be-fore seeing the train depart
This inaugural export train bound for China departed just under three months after the first ever import train from China arrived in the UK The service is part of Chinarsquos One Belt One Road programme - reviving the ancient Silk Road trading routes to the West
After passing through the Channel Tunnel into France and Belgium the DB Cargo lo-comotive then called at Duisburg Germany before InterRail hauled the cargo through Po-land Belarus Russia and Kazahkstan before the train crossed to Yiwu China Container operator OneTwoThree Logistics oversaw the transportation and booking of cargo for the UKChina rail freight trains in conjunction with Yiwu Timex Industrial Investments Co which is running the service with China Rail-way Container
Continued on page 3
RFG Members enjoy another successful Multimodal exhibition and conference See page 6
Looking back but moving forwardsBy Maggie Simpson RFG Executive Director
Last week we held our Annual Rail Freight Conference in conjunction with Waterfront Conferences With around 100 delegates and a packed agenda the event was a great success and you can read more about it on page 7 The conference also marked our lsquoSilver Anniversaryrsquo being the 25th annual event
The railways are notoriously good at looking backwards which is not always to our credit and so we deliberately didnrsquot linger on past conferences during the day Instead we focussed on the challenges and opportunities of now includ-ing Brexit the changing market for rail freight urban plan-ning and air quality and devolution both regionally and within Network Rail The combined effect of such developments is unsettling for the sector but it is clear from the discussions
that there remains a strong appetite for continued change and growth And in that regard there must be strong parallels with the first conference back in 1992 on the dawn of railprivatisation where there can have been no greater certainty for customers and investors as well as all those then em-ployed by British Railrsquos freight sector
So political change is always with us and we are now look-ing to the June General Election and working to set out rail freight priorities for any incoming Government We are fortu-nate to have good cross party support for growth and must continue to work to make the case for our sector in any rail-way reforms which might be proposed in manifestos or as the new Government gets to work
Finally a reminder to look out for all our events across the year details of which are on page 10 We try to ensure there is something for everyone in our programme and if you are interested in attending or presenting at a future conference or meeting do please get in touch
Executive Directorrsquos Update Maggie Simpson email your comments to maggierfgorguk
RFG Awards 2017 Call for entriesDonrsquot forget to get your entries in now for theprestigious RFG Awards which recognise excel-lence in all aspects of rail freight
This year we celebrate their 10th anniversary so we will also be presenting a memento to all busi-nesses that have been members continuously for the past decade
Go to wwwrfgorguk for details or email Yvonne Mulder at yvonnerfgorguk on how to enter
2
Calling all budding rail photographers
Rail Freight Group (RFG) is launching a new photogra-phy competition open to everyone Whether itrsquos of lo-cos and cargo ports and terminals quarries or at dis-tribution centres we want to see your best snaps of rail freight in action
The winning photographs will be judged by the RFG team and announced in the next newsletter where we will pub-lish a gallery of the winning images There will be a prize for the winning entry Please email your entries to us at jamesrfgorguk
News in brief
bull ldquoFreight network must be fit-for-purposerdquo Read Maggie Simpsonrsquos recent interview with railfreightcom here
bull GB Railfreight (GBRf) COO David Knowles has been appointed Managing Director of Hector Rail AB in Sweden David has 25 yearsrsquo experience in the Railfreight Industry and a wealth of operational and industry expertise he has been a key member of the Executive team at GBRf for nearly 7 years
bull The Port of Felixstowe has welcomed the first call of a new weekly ser-vice connecting North Eu-rope and Turkey Known as the lsquoNorth Europe Turkey Expressrsquo (NET)
bull British Ports Association (BPA) Chairman Rodney Lunn has called for trade fa-cilitation development and connectivity to be central to Governmentrsquos post-Brexit trade and transport strate-gies although said Govern-ment must provide the right policy and regulatory frame-work and explore investment options for better connecting ports with national networks bull The Port of Tilbury has been awarded an AEO mark thought to be the first multipurpose port in the UK to receive full sta-tus for security and cus-toms simplification
bull GWI UK Acquisition Company Ltd has com-pleted the acquisition of Pentalver Transport from a subsidiary of APM Ter-minals Pentalverrsquos oper-ations are complementary to those of GampWrsquos Freight-liner subsidiary which is the largest provider of maritime container trans-portation by rail in the UK
3
RFG News Apr 2017
Continued from first page
This first consignment of cargo to go by rail which is far cheaper and much less re-strictive than air freight and faster than sea freight comes in the wake of the triggering of Article 50 and the start of the formal pro-cess of leaving the European Union It has of course placed a huge emphasis on the UK to secure trade deals with countries all over the world
Greg Hands Minister of State in the Depart-ment for International Trade said ldquoThis new rail link with China is another boost for Glob-al Britain following the ancient Silk Road trade route to carry British products around the world It shows the huge global demand for quality UK goods and is a great step for DP Worldrsquos pound15bn London Gateway Port as
it also welcomes its first regular container ships from Asiardquo
Speaking at the trainrsquos departure Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem Group Chairman and CEO DP World said ldquoWe are proud to be playing a key role in facilitating this signifi-cant trade occasion between the UK and China DP World is a leading enabler of global trade with its network of marine and inland terminals industrial zones and logis-tics and ancillary services to ensure nations all over the world can move goods in out and inland efficiently and reliablyrdquo
Previously the first ever direct rail freight train from China had arrived in the UK on 3 January carrying clothing and was heralded as the start of a new era in trade between Britain and China bull
RFG publishes new annual handbook for rail freight sectorThe Rail Freight Group (RFG) has now published its annual directory and hand-book lsquoRFG Handbook 201819rsquo
It includes an indepth editorial section from many of the key voices across the sector including Rail Minister Paul Maynard Net-work Rail ORR Freightliner Hope Ce-ment Port of Felixstowe and Drax Power
The Directory section contains confirmed and up-to-date information on all the key stakeholders in the rail freight sector Go to wwwrfgorguk and click lsquoHandbookrsquo bull
RFG News Apr 2017
4
DB Cargo agrees terms with unionsDB Cargo UK says it has reached successful agreements with the four trade unions representing a majority of its workforce meaning it will launch its future business model on 2 July as planned
ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite have been in discussions since October 2016 with DB Cargo when the com-pany announced proposals to cut 893 jobs (almost a third of its workforce) in a restructure triggered by the rapid
decline in coal The working arrange-ments of employees will also be up-dated and modernised
Hans-Georg Werner CEO of DB Car-go UK said ldquoI would like to thank ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite for their continued dialogue with us Under the pressures of the market we were able to find agreements acceptable to all parties and avoid industrial action We regret that some colleagues will be leaving us but treating our people fairly to secure a business that will be successful in the future has been at the heart of our discussions
ldquoWe will now move forward with our plans to lead the next generation of rail freight which includes key invest-
ments such as new wagons terminal enhancements and combining our core function of delivering goods by rail with bespoke in-house IT solu-tions to give our customers the best service and make it easy for them to do business with usrdquo
As the coal sector for rail freight re-duces other markets including aggre-gates and steel remain buoyant
Werner added ldquoThere is a strong fu-ture for rail freight in the UK because it offers benefits that its competitors (mainly road) cannot Itrsquos efficient itrsquos quick and it removes congestion from our roads because a train can carry much more volume than a truckrdquo bull
First train arrives for Sirius Mineralsrsquo Yorkshire mineThe first train has arrived at AV Dawson to support the construction of a new polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire The ambitious pound24bn project includes the construction of the recently named Woodsmith Mine near Whitby and a 23-mile tunnel to transport the mined ore to process-ing and harbour facilities on Teesside
AV Dawson is providing its logistics expertise and local knowledge to support Sirius Minerals and several contrac-tors involved in the construction of the facility which at full production is forecast to produce 20m tonnes of polyhalite
per year - generating pound25bn in exports and contributing pound23bn to UK GDP
Neil McShane AV Dawson rail manager said ldquoHundreds of thousands of tonnes of aggregates are needed for a project of this size With these volumes wersquore keen to promote rail wherever we can for the increased efficiencies and environ-mental benefits it can provide Wersquove been in discussion with the various teams involved in this project for a while now Itrsquos
really exciting to see this first train bringing aggregates into our rail terminal in preparation for the start of constructionrdquobull
Rail freight can play key role in cutting pollutionRail freight should be part of air pol-lution solution say campaigners
In response to the Governmentrsquo draft air quality strategy published on 5 May Philippa Edmunds Freight on Rail Manager Campaign for Better Transport said ldquoThe Governmentrsquos own figures show the extent of road freightrsquos nitrogen dioxide emissions
HGVs are responsible for 21 of ni-trogen dioxide emissions while only accounting for 5 of vehicle miles ldquoRail freight should be part of the solution as it produces up to 15 times less nitrogen dioxide emissions than HGVs for the equivalent journey Rail already does bring freight into the heart of cities where the air quality problems are most acute but it needs more rail freight hubs to expand the traffic to help clean up our citiesrdquo
Click here for the DfT Freight Carbon Review bull
Lineside survey will help cut delaysInstances of train delays caused by trees falling onto the tracks could dramatically reduce as Network Rail rolls-out its national lsquotree cen-susrsquo database which targets spe-cific problem trees to monitor
More than 10 million trees growing next to the railway have been cat-alogued as part of a sophisticated aerial survey covering 20000 miles of Britainrsquos track bull
5
RFG News Apr 2017
Unlocking freight capacity on the networkNetwork Railrsquos timetable shake-up is being implemented after a two-year collaboration with the rail freight sector and in-dustry-wide review into more efficient operations Some 4700 reserved but unused slots were identified for new ser-vices freeing up additional capacity
Paul McMahon Network Railrsquos managing director for freight and national passenger operators said ldquoIt is important the whole rail industry works together to make best use of existing capacity to minimise the need for additional expensive capacity enhance-ment schemes
ldquoThis is a real win-win and has truly been a collaborative piece of work with the freight operators Capacity has been freed up forthe whole railway but essential capacity is reserved for freight operators This is important given the need to support the growth of freight on the network to support the economyrdquo
Russell Mears chief executive of Freightliner and Chair of the Rail Delivery Group said ldquoThe freight operators and NetworkRail have worked together in an effective and pragmatic way for the wider industry good Whilst retaining some key paths as stra-tegic capacity to support future freight growth the release of other residual paths is essential in helping the government get the best value for money from our capacity constrained railwayrdquo bull
GBRfrsquos MD John Smith named asMultimodalrsquos Personality of the YearJohn Smith Managing Director and founder of GB Railfreight (GBRf) was named Multimodal Personality of the Year at the eventrsquos awards evening in Birmingham
Smith who founded GB Railfreight in 1977 was recognised for his inspira-tional leadership and support of young people in the industry Dachser was recognised as Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year Beth OrsquoNeill of Howard Ten-ens won the Young Logistics Profes-sional Award Peel Ports Group won the Innovation in Infrastructure Award and Virgin Atlantic Cargo was named Air Cargo Operator of the Year
Howdenrsquos Joinery and the John Lewis Partnership were both championed by FTA for their green initiatives Awards also went to Freightliner Mediterra-
nean Shipping Company Maritime Transport DP World Southampton and DSV bull
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos RFG meeting at Mul-timodal got off to a positive start with Maggie Simpson RFG Exec-utive Director reporting that inter-modal traffic in the UK had recently experienced a record high quarter with 172bn tonne-km moved up 52 on the same quarter in the previous year
The theme of the meeting was lsquoThe Trading Future ndash the role of rail freight in driving UK exports and importsrsquoMike Noakes (above) Head of RailInfrastructure Department for Busi-ness Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) talking about Governmentrsquos new approach to industrial strategy said they were always asking ldquowhat can you do to help us meet our goalsrdquo So the rail freight industry needed to look at the governmentrsquos priorities and explain for instance
how it can help increase productivity ldquoThe only way to move large amounts of goods around the country is by rail I am convinced there is a huge role for rail freight You just have to define it and grasp itrdquo he told the 80 attendees If the government wants the private sector to take the lead then the pound750 million which Mersey Ports has in-vested in a variety of projects includ-ing the Liverpool 2 container terminal is clear evidence that this is happen-ing said Warren Marshall Group Planning Director Peel Ports And the Northern Powerhouse project is being supported by ports in the north working together to ldquomake a nuisance of ourselves to get a better deal for freightrdquo including rail freight
Ruptesh Pattanayak (pictured) Busi-ness Development Manager Trans-port Sector Fujitsu said the logis-tics industry needed to embrace the digital transformation to grow ndash even to survive ldquoThere is a high availabil-ity of digital technology in the UK but lower rates of adoption that in other countries We need a hyperconnect-ed world where everything is in real time as this allows us to make better decisionsrdquo
A new connection of a more tradi-tional kind was the arrival of the first ever direct freight train from China to the UK earlier this year David Cross Head of Intermodal DB Cargo said trains had been running between Chi-na and Germany for five years and had since been extended to Spain and now into the UK He noted that the train really comes into its own (compared with sea freight) when you are looking at central China to central Europe with an 11 day transit time
between Chengdu and Poland An export service from the UK to China is also set to operate in mid April
John Keefe Director of Public Affairs Eurotunnel said ldquofaster than sea and cheaper than airrdquo had been Euro-tunnelrsquos model for the last 20 years The companyrsquos huge investments in security meant the trains and shut-tles now ran uninterrupted by migrant activity and there was a huge poten-tial for more rail freight He stressed that ldquoBrexit means that we need au-tomation of the border at every level integrating Customs immigration and securityrdquo
The last speaker Steve Rhymes (above) Head of Freight Network Management Network Rail explained that the UK is part of the North Sea ndash Mediterranean strategic freight cor-ridor and Brexit made no difference to that ldquoWe still fully support the corridor as the best way of growing business in the long-term The corridors give customers a one stop shop and allow us to optimise the network and meas-ure and analyse train performancerdquo bull
6
RFG at Multimodal The role of rail freight in UK trade
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos Rail Freight Conference provided an oppor-tunity for delegates to debate current topics affecting the sector from Brexit to innovation in wagon design and service delivery RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley wel-comed delegates and explained that the Rail Minister Paul Maynard who had agreed to give the keynote ad-dress could no longer attend due to the restrictions placed on them by the forthcoming snap General Elec-tion ldquoThis also means that for the next six weeks we will have no Ministerial involvement in rail freight ndash which some might say is an advantagerdquo
Paul McMahon MD Freight and National Passenger Op-erations (FNPO) Network Rail gave an overview of rail freight performance over the year He was pleased with the progress of the Service Plan Review in helping operators run longer heavier trains and with the programme of iden-tifying unused freight paths which were then either returned to lsquowhite spacersquo or selected as strategic capacity for future freight growth He urged delegates to engage with Network Rail in its plans for CP6 (2019-2015) so that when the they are submitted to the regulator at the end of the year ldquoit is a document the sector can support and be proud ofrdquo
The regulator he mentioned is the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) and its CEO Joanne Whittington was the next speak-er She said she fully supported the Network Rail strategy of devolving to the eight regional routes with FNPO as the ninth ldquoThe challenge is for Network Rail to get closer to its customers and build on the possibilities of the route-based structure to help drive improvementrdquo
A panel looking at the implications of Brexit for rail freight comprised Laura Wright Head of European Policy at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) Andrew Meaney Head of Transport at Oxera and Maggie Simpson
Laura Wright explained that the RDG had set out seven key principles for Brexit outcomes ranging from no compromise on safety to measures to allow the railways to access the re-quired workforce Andrew Meaney said Brexit should not be thought of as a sudden impact on the economy but more of a slow drip Maggie Simpson welcomed the focus which Brexit has put on trade ndash and consequently on freight and logistics ndash which helps rail freight gain a higher profile generally
One European company which is entering the UK market for the first time is Swiss provider of freight wagon systems Wascosa and CEO Peter Balzer outlined some of the in-novative designs which help increase productivity through higher payload or faster turnaround times The modular wag-on for instance separates the underframe from the super-structure so that a product requiring a different wagon design can be carried on a return journey He also outlined the role
of telematics in delivering improved information be that to customers or to enhance maintenance
Neil Sime MD Victa Rail Freight outlined how Victa were looking to exploit efficiencies and reduce costs to customers He explained that it was important to use the right equipment and resources for the right task to maximise resources ldquoWe should use the big expensive kit for trunking and then use older kit for localised and internal movementsrdquo It could oper-ate a bit like the deepsea services calling at major ports with smaller shortsea and coastal feeders taking the cargo to the final destination he said
James Day MD Day Group stressed the need to safeguard existing rail-linked aggregate and other industrial sites This includes make sure that local planners not only understand the importance of the site itself but that they also ensure nearby developments are appropriate ndash to avoid expensive housing developments next door where residents will lobby to have the site shut down
For Duncan Clark Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight the biggest challenge in growing intermodal rail freight is finding a balanced trade ldquoYou need an average of 75 loaded back or it destroys the economicsrdquo He said that GBrsquos main competitors are road hauliers not other FOCs and that competition was very tough especially as fuel duty had been frozen since 2011 and Modal Shift Revenue Sup-port funds are being reduced by 20 this year
Lucy Hudson Lead Officer - Freight and Logistics Transport for the North (TfN) explained that TfN involves 19 local gov-ernment and 11 local enterprise partners as well as four de-velopment partners including Network Rail ldquoThis will ensure a coherent and integrated approach including co-manage-ment of the Northrsquos rail franchises and identifying rail priori-tiesrdquo She outlined the latest research on freight which is due to be published later this year
The last speaker was Alfred van Wyk from PD Ports who ex-plained that Teesport is the fifth largest port in the UK by vol-ume and that rail is an integral part of its strategy A regular service to Scotland is already operating and they are already planning a second daily service to Scotland and will launch a new rail service to Daventry in the last quarter of this year Tony Berkeley summed up by requesting that the Secretary of State for Transport whoever that is after the election gave freight an equal status to passengers on the railways and ldquodid not come up with any wacky schemes that involved another complete reorganisationrdquo
Thanks to all our speakers and particularly to Waterfront for their organisation and Freshwater for their sponsorship bull
25th Annual Rail Freight Conference highlights key successes and change
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
Looking back but moving forwardsBy Maggie Simpson RFG Executive Director
Last week we held our Annual Rail Freight Conference in conjunction with Waterfront Conferences With around 100 delegates and a packed agenda the event was a great success and you can read more about it on page 7 The conference also marked our lsquoSilver Anniversaryrsquo being the 25th annual event
The railways are notoriously good at looking backwards which is not always to our credit and so we deliberately didnrsquot linger on past conferences during the day Instead we focussed on the challenges and opportunities of now includ-ing Brexit the changing market for rail freight urban plan-ning and air quality and devolution both regionally and within Network Rail The combined effect of such developments is unsettling for the sector but it is clear from the discussions
that there remains a strong appetite for continued change and growth And in that regard there must be strong parallels with the first conference back in 1992 on the dawn of railprivatisation where there can have been no greater certainty for customers and investors as well as all those then em-ployed by British Railrsquos freight sector
So political change is always with us and we are now look-ing to the June General Election and working to set out rail freight priorities for any incoming Government We are fortu-nate to have good cross party support for growth and must continue to work to make the case for our sector in any rail-way reforms which might be proposed in manifestos or as the new Government gets to work
Finally a reminder to look out for all our events across the year details of which are on page 10 We try to ensure there is something for everyone in our programme and if you are interested in attending or presenting at a future conference or meeting do please get in touch
Executive Directorrsquos Update Maggie Simpson email your comments to maggierfgorguk
RFG Awards 2017 Call for entriesDonrsquot forget to get your entries in now for theprestigious RFG Awards which recognise excel-lence in all aspects of rail freight
This year we celebrate their 10th anniversary so we will also be presenting a memento to all busi-nesses that have been members continuously for the past decade
Go to wwwrfgorguk for details or email Yvonne Mulder at yvonnerfgorguk on how to enter
2
Calling all budding rail photographers
Rail Freight Group (RFG) is launching a new photogra-phy competition open to everyone Whether itrsquos of lo-cos and cargo ports and terminals quarries or at dis-tribution centres we want to see your best snaps of rail freight in action
The winning photographs will be judged by the RFG team and announced in the next newsletter where we will pub-lish a gallery of the winning images There will be a prize for the winning entry Please email your entries to us at jamesrfgorguk
News in brief
bull ldquoFreight network must be fit-for-purposerdquo Read Maggie Simpsonrsquos recent interview with railfreightcom here
bull GB Railfreight (GBRf) COO David Knowles has been appointed Managing Director of Hector Rail AB in Sweden David has 25 yearsrsquo experience in the Railfreight Industry and a wealth of operational and industry expertise he has been a key member of the Executive team at GBRf for nearly 7 years
bull The Port of Felixstowe has welcomed the first call of a new weekly ser-vice connecting North Eu-rope and Turkey Known as the lsquoNorth Europe Turkey Expressrsquo (NET)
bull British Ports Association (BPA) Chairman Rodney Lunn has called for trade fa-cilitation development and connectivity to be central to Governmentrsquos post-Brexit trade and transport strate-gies although said Govern-ment must provide the right policy and regulatory frame-work and explore investment options for better connecting ports with national networks bull The Port of Tilbury has been awarded an AEO mark thought to be the first multipurpose port in the UK to receive full sta-tus for security and cus-toms simplification
bull GWI UK Acquisition Company Ltd has com-pleted the acquisition of Pentalver Transport from a subsidiary of APM Ter-minals Pentalverrsquos oper-ations are complementary to those of GampWrsquos Freight-liner subsidiary which is the largest provider of maritime container trans-portation by rail in the UK
3
RFG News Apr 2017
Continued from first page
This first consignment of cargo to go by rail which is far cheaper and much less re-strictive than air freight and faster than sea freight comes in the wake of the triggering of Article 50 and the start of the formal pro-cess of leaving the European Union It has of course placed a huge emphasis on the UK to secure trade deals with countries all over the world
Greg Hands Minister of State in the Depart-ment for International Trade said ldquoThis new rail link with China is another boost for Glob-al Britain following the ancient Silk Road trade route to carry British products around the world It shows the huge global demand for quality UK goods and is a great step for DP Worldrsquos pound15bn London Gateway Port as
it also welcomes its first regular container ships from Asiardquo
Speaking at the trainrsquos departure Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem Group Chairman and CEO DP World said ldquoWe are proud to be playing a key role in facilitating this signifi-cant trade occasion between the UK and China DP World is a leading enabler of global trade with its network of marine and inland terminals industrial zones and logis-tics and ancillary services to ensure nations all over the world can move goods in out and inland efficiently and reliablyrdquo
Previously the first ever direct rail freight train from China had arrived in the UK on 3 January carrying clothing and was heralded as the start of a new era in trade between Britain and China bull
RFG publishes new annual handbook for rail freight sectorThe Rail Freight Group (RFG) has now published its annual directory and hand-book lsquoRFG Handbook 201819rsquo
It includes an indepth editorial section from many of the key voices across the sector including Rail Minister Paul Maynard Net-work Rail ORR Freightliner Hope Ce-ment Port of Felixstowe and Drax Power
The Directory section contains confirmed and up-to-date information on all the key stakeholders in the rail freight sector Go to wwwrfgorguk and click lsquoHandbookrsquo bull
RFG News Apr 2017
4
DB Cargo agrees terms with unionsDB Cargo UK says it has reached successful agreements with the four trade unions representing a majority of its workforce meaning it will launch its future business model on 2 July as planned
ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite have been in discussions since October 2016 with DB Cargo when the com-pany announced proposals to cut 893 jobs (almost a third of its workforce) in a restructure triggered by the rapid
decline in coal The working arrange-ments of employees will also be up-dated and modernised
Hans-Georg Werner CEO of DB Car-go UK said ldquoI would like to thank ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite for their continued dialogue with us Under the pressures of the market we were able to find agreements acceptable to all parties and avoid industrial action We regret that some colleagues will be leaving us but treating our people fairly to secure a business that will be successful in the future has been at the heart of our discussions
ldquoWe will now move forward with our plans to lead the next generation of rail freight which includes key invest-
ments such as new wagons terminal enhancements and combining our core function of delivering goods by rail with bespoke in-house IT solu-tions to give our customers the best service and make it easy for them to do business with usrdquo
As the coal sector for rail freight re-duces other markets including aggre-gates and steel remain buoyant
Werner added ldquoThere is a strong fu-ture for rail freight in the UK because it offers benefits that its competitors (mainly road) cannot Itrsquos efficient itrsquos quick and it removes congestion from our roads because a train can carry much more volume than a truckrdquo bull
First train arrives for Sirius Mineralsrsquo Yorkshire mineThe first train has arrived at AV Dawson to support the construction of a new polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire The ambitious pound24bn project includes the construction of the recently named Woodsmith Mine near Whitby and a 23-mile tunnel to transport the mined ore to process-ing and harbour facilities on Teesside
AV Dawson is providing its logistics expertise and local knowledge to support Sirius Minerals and several contrac-tors involved in the construction of the facility which at full production is forecast to produce 20m tonnes of polyhalite
per year - generating pound25bn in exports and contributing pound23bn to UK GDP
Neil McShane AV Dawson rail manager said ldquoHundreds of thousands of tonnes of aggregates are needed for a project of this size With these volumes wersquore keen to promote rail wherever we can for the increased efficiencies and environ-mental benefits it can provide Wersquove been in discussion with the various teams involved in this project for a while now Itrsquos
really exciting to see this first train bringing aggregates into our rail terminal in preparation for the start of constructionrdquobull
Rail freight can play key role in cutting pollutionRail freight should be part of air pol-lution solution say campaigners
In response to the Governmentrsquo draft air quality strategy published on 5 May Philippa Edmunds Freight on Rail Manager Campaign for Better Transport said ldquoThe Governmentrsquos own figures show the extent of road freightrsquos nitrogen dioxide emissions
HGVs are responsible for 21 of ni-trogen dioxide emissions while only accounting for 5 of vehicle miles ldquoRail freight should be part of the solution as it produces up to 15 times less nitrogen dioxide emissions than HGVs for the equivalent journey Rail already does bring freight into the heart of cities where the air quality problems are most acute but it needs more rail freight hubs to expand the traffic to help clean up our citiesrdquo
Click here for the DfT Freight Carbon Review bull
Lineside survey will help cut delaysInstances of train delays caused by trees falling onto the tracks could dramatically reduce as Network Rail rolls-out its national lsquotree cen-susrsquo database which targets spe-cific problem trees to monitor
More than 10 million trees growing next to the railway have been cat-alogued as part of a sophisticated aerial survey covering 20000 miles of Britainrsquos track bull
5
RFG News Apr 2017
Unlocking freight capacity on the networkNetwork Railrsquos timetable shake-up is being implemented after a two-year collaboration with the rail freight sector and in-dustry-wide review into more efficient operations Some 4700 reserved but unused slots were identified for new ser-vices freeing up additional capacity
Paul McMahon Network Railrsquos managing director for freight and national passenger operators said ldquoIt is important the whole rail industry works together to make best use of existing capacity to minimise the need for additional expensive capacity enhance-ment schemes
ldquoThis is a real win-win and has truly been a collaborative piece of work with the freight operators Capacity has been freed up forthe whole railway but essential capacity is reserved for freight operators This is important given the need to support the growth of freight on the network to support the economyrdquo
Russell Mears chief executive of Freightliner and Chair of the Rail Delivery Group said ldquoThe freight operators and NetworkRail have worked together in an effective and pragmatic way for the wider industry good Whilst retaining some key paths as stra-tegic capacity to support future freight growth the release of other residual paths is essential in helping the government get the best value for money from our capacity constrained railwayrdquo bull
GBRfrsquos MD John Smith named asMultimodalrsquos Personality of the YearJohn Smith Managing Director and founder of GB Railfreight (GBRf) was named Multimodal Personality of the Year at the eventrsquos awards evening in Birmingham
Smith who founded GB Railfreight in 1977 was recognised for his inspira-tional leadership and support of young people in the industry Dachser was recognised as Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year Beth OrsquoNeill of Howard Ten-ens won the Young Logistics Profes-sional Award Peel Ports Group won the Innovation in Infrastructure Award and Virgin Atlantic Cargo was named Air Cargo Operator of the Year
Howdenrsquos Joinery and the John Lewis Partnership were both championed by FTA for their green initiatives Awards also went to Freightliner Mediterra-
nean Shipping Company Maritime Transport DP World Southampton and DSV bull
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos RFG meeting at Mul-timodal got off to a positive start with Maggie Simpson RFG Exec-utive Director reporting that inter-modal traffic in the UK had recently experienced a record high quarter with 172bn tonne-km moved up 52 on the same quarter in the previous year
The theme of the meeting was lsquoThe Trading Future ndash the role of rail freight in driving UK exports and importsrsquoMike Noakes (above) Head of RailInfrastructure Department for Busi-ness Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) talking about Governmentrsquos new approach to industrial strategy said they were always asking ldquowhat can you do to help us meet our goalsrdquo So the rail freight industry needed to look at the governmentrsquos priorities and explain for instance
how it can help increase productivity ldquoThe only way to move large amounts of goods around the country is by rail I am convinced there is a huge role for rail freight You just have to define it and grasp itrdquo he told the 80 attendees If the government wants the private sector to take the lead then the pound750 million which Mersey Ports has in-vested in a variety of projects includ-ing the Liverpool 2 container terminal is clear evidence that this is happen-ing said Warren Marshall Group Planning Director Peel Ports And the Northern Powerhouse project is being supported by ports in the north working together to ldquomake a nuisance of ourselves to get a better deal for freightrdquo including rail freight
Ruptesh Pattanayak (pictured) Busi-ness Development Manager Trans-port Sector Fujitsu said the logis-tics industry needed to embrace the digital transformation to grow ndash even to survive ldquoThere is a high availabil-ity of digital technology in the UK but lower rates of adoption that in other countries We need a hyperconnect-ed world where everything is in real time as this allows us to make better decisionsrdquo
A new connection of a more tradi-tional kind was the arrival of the first ever direct freight train from China to the UK earlier this year David Cross Head of Intermodal DB Cargo said trains had been running between Chi-na and Germany for five years and had since been extended to Spain and now into the UK He noted that the train really comes into its own (compared with sea freight) when you are looking at central China to central Europe with an 11 day transit time
between Chengdu and Poland An export service from the UK to China is also set to operate in mid April
John Keefe Director of Public Affairs Eurotunnel said ldquofaster than sea and cheaper than airrdquo had been Euro-tunnelrsquos model for the last 20 years The companyrsquos huge investments in security meant the trains and shut-tles now ran uninterrupted by migrant activity and there was a huge poten-tial for more rail freight He stressed that ldquoBrexit means that we need au-tomation of the border at every level integrating Customs immigration and securityrdquo
The last speaker Steve Rhymes (above) Head of Freight Network Management Network Rail explained that the UK is part of the North Sea ndash Mediterranean strategic freight cor-ridor and Brexit made no difference to that ldquoWe still fully support the corridor as the best way of growing business in the long-term The corridors give customers a one stop shop and allow us to optimise the network and meas-ure and analyse train performancerdquo bull
6
RFG at Multimodal The role of rail freight in UK trade
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos Rail Freight Conference provided an oppor-tunity for delegates to debate current topics affecting the sector from Brexit to innovation in wagon design and service delivery RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley wel-comed delegates and explained that the Rail Minister Paul Maynard who had agreed to give the keynote ad-dress could no longer attend due to the restrictions placed on them by the forthcoming snap General Elec-tion ldquoThis also means that for the next six weeks we will have no Ministerial involvement in rail freight ndash which some might say is an advantagerdquo
Paul McMahon MD Freight and National Passenger Op-erations (FNPO) Network Rail gave an overview of rail freight performance over the year He was pleased with the progress of the Service Plan Review in helping operators run longer heavier trains and with the programme of iden-tifying unused freight paths which were then either returned to lsquowhite spacersquo or selected as strategic capacity for future freight growth He urged delegates to engage with Network Rail in its plans for CP6 (2019-2015) so that when the they are submitted to the regulator at the end of the year ldquoit is a document the sector can support and be proud ofrdquo
The regulator he mentioned is the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) and its CEO Joanne Whittington was the next speak-er She said she fully supported the Network Rail strategy of devolving to the eight regional routes with FNPO as the ninth ldquoThe challenge is for Network Rail to get closer to its customers and build on the possibilities of the route-based structure to help drive improvementrdquo
A panel looking at the implications of Brexit for rail freight comprised Laura Wright Head of European Policy at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) Andrew Meaney Head of Transport at Oxera and Maggie Simpson
Laura Wright explained that the RDG had set out seven key principles for Brexit outcomes ranging from no compromise on safety to measures to allow the railways to access the re-quired workforce Andrew Meaney said Brexit should not be thought of as a sudden impact on the economy but more of a slow drip Maggie Simpson welcomed the focus which Brexit has put on trade ndash and consequently on freight and logistics ndash which helps rail freight gain a higher profile generally
One European company which is entering the UK market for the first time is Swiss provider of freight wagon systems Wascosa and CEO Peter Balzer outlined some of the in-novative designs which help increase productivity through higher payload or faster turnaround times The modular wag-on for instance separates the underframe from the super-structure so that a product requiring a different wagon design can be carried on a return journey He also outlined the role
of telematics in delivering improved information be that to customers or to enhance maintenance
Neil Sime MD Victa Rail Freight outlined how Victa were looking to exploit efficiencies and reduce costs to customers He explained that it was important to use the right equipment and resources for the right task to maximise resources ldquoWe should use the big expensive kit for trunking and then use older kit for localised and internal movementsrdquo It could oper-ate a bit like the deepsea services calling at major ports with smaller shortsea and coastal feeders taking the cargo to the final destination he said
James Day MD Day Group stressed the need to safeguard existing rail-linked aggregate and other industrial sites This includes make sure that local planners not only understand the importance of the site itself but that they also ensure nearby developments are appropriate ndash to avoid expensive housing developments next door where residents will lobby to have the site shut down
For Duncan Clark Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight the biggest challenge in growing intermodal rail freight is finding a balanced trade ldquoYou need an average of 75 loaded back or it destroys the economicsrdquo He said that GBrsquos main competitors are road hauliers not other FOCs and that competition was very tough especially as fuel duty had been frozen since 2011 and Modal Shift Revenue Sup-port funds are being reduced by 20 this year
Lucy Hudson Lead Officer - Freight and Logistics Transport for the North (TfN) explained that TfN involves 19 local gov-ernment and 11 local enterprise partners as well as four de-velopment partners including Network Rail ldquoThis will ensure a coherent and integrated approach including co-manage-ment of the Northrsquos rail franchises and identifying rail priori-tiesrdquo She outlined the latest research on freight which is due to be published later this year
The last speaker was Alfred van Wyk from PD Ports who ex-plained that Teesport is the fifth largest port in the UK by vol-ume and that rail is an integral part of its strategy A regular service to Scotland is already operating and they are already planning a second daily service to Scotland and will launch a new rail service to Daventry in the last quarter of this year Tony Berkeley summed up by requesting that the Secretary of State for Transport whoever that is after the election gave freight an equal status to passengers on the railways and ldquodid not come up with any wacky schemes that involved another complete reorganisationrdquo
Thanks to all our speakers and particularly to Waterfront for their organisation and Freshwater for their sponsorship bull
25th Annual Rail Freight Conference highlights key successes and change
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
News in brief
bull ldquoFreight network must be fit-for-purposerdquo Read Maggie Simpsonrsquos recent interview with railfreightcom here
bull GB Railfreight (GBRf) COO David Knowles has been appointed Managing Director of Hector Rail AB in Sweden David has 25 yearsrsquo experience in the Railfreight Industry and a wealth of operational and industry expertise he has been a key member of the Executive team at GBRf for nearly 7 years
bull The Port of Felixstowe has welcomed the first call of a new weekly ser-vice connecting North Eu-rope and Turkey Known as the lsquoNorth Europe Turkey Expressrsquo (NET)
bull British Ports Association (BPA) Chairman Rodney Lunn has called for trade fa-cilitation development and connectivity to be central to Governmentrsquos post-Brexit trade and transport strate-gies although said Govern-ment must provide the right policy and regulatory frame-work and explore investment options for better connecting ports with national networks bull The Port of Tilbury has been awarded an AEO mark thought to be the first multipurpose port in the UK to receive full sta-tus for security and cus-toms simplification
bull GWI UK Acquisition Company Ltd has com-pleted the acquisition of Pentalver Transport from a subsidiary of APM Ter-minals Pentalverrsquos oper-ations are complementary to those of GampWrsquos Freight-liner subsidiary which is the largest provider of maritime container trans-portation by rail in the UK
3
RFG News Apr 2017
Continued from first page
This first consignment of cargo to go by rail which is far cheaper and much less re-strictive than air freight and faster than sea freight comes in the wake of the triggering of Article 50 and the start of the formal pro-cess of leaving the European Union It has of course placed a huge emphasis on the UK to secure trade deals with countries all over the world
Greg Hands Minister of State in the Depart-ment for International Trade said ldquoThis new rail link with China is another boost for Glob-al Britain following the ancient Silk Road trade route to carry British products around the world It shows the huge global demand for quality UK goods and is a great step for DP Worldrsquos pound15bn London Gateway Port as
it also welcomes its first regular container ships from Asiardquo
Speaking at the trainrsquos departure Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem Group Chairman and CEO DP World said ldquoWe are proud to be playing a key role in facilitating this signifi-cant trade occasion between the UK and China DP World is a leading enabler of global trade with its network of marine and inland terminals industrial zones and logis-tics and ancillary services to ensure nations all over the world can move goods in out and inland efficiently and reliablyrdquo
Previously the first ever direct rail freight train from China had arrived in the UK on 3 January carrying clothing and was heralded as the start of a new era in trade between Britain and China bull
RFG publishes new annual handbook for rail freight sectorThe Rail Freight Group (RFG) has now published its annual directory and hand-book lsquoRFG Handbook 201819rsquo
It includes an indepth editorial section from many of the key voices across the sector including Rail Minister Paul Maynard Net-work Rail ORR Freightliner Hope Ce-ment Port of Felixstowe and Drax Power
The Directory section contains confirmed and up-to-date information on all the key stakeholders in the rail freight sector Go to wwwrfgorguk and click lsquoHandbookrsquo bull
RFG News Apr 2017
4
DB Cargo agrees terms with unionsDB Cargo UK says it has reached successful agreements with the four trade unions representing a majority of its workforce meaning it will launch its future business model on 2 July as planned
ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite have been in discussions since October 2016 with DB Cargo when the com-pany announced proposals to cut 893 jobs (almost a third of its workforce) in a restructure triggered by the rapid
decline in coal The working arrange-ments of employees will also be up-dated and modernised
Hans-Georg Werner CEO of DB Car-go UK said ldquoI would like to thank ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite for their continued dialogue with us Under the pressures of the market we were able to find agreements acceptable to all parties and avoid industrial action We regret that some colleagues will be leaving us but treating our people fairly to secure a business that will be successful in the future has been at the heart of our discussions
ldquoWe will now move forward with our plans to lead the next generation of rail freight which includes key invest-
ments such as new wagons terminal enhancements and combining our core function of delivering goods by rail with bespoke in-house IT solu-tions to give our customers the best service and make it easy for them to do business with usrdquo
As the coal sector for rail freight re-duces other markets including aggre-gates and steel remain buoyant
Werner added ldquoThere is a strong fu-ture for rail freight in the UK because it offers benefits that its competitors (mainly road) cannot Itrsquos efficient itrsquos quick and it removes congestion from our roads because a train can carry much more volume than a truckrdquo bull
First train arrives for Sirius Mineralsrsquo Yorkshire mineThe first train has arrived at AV Dawson to support the construction of a new polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire The ambitious pound24bn project includes the construction of the recently named Woodsmith Mine near Whitby and a 23-mile tunnel to transport the mined ore to process-ing and harbour facilities on Teesside
AV Dawson is providing its logistics expertise and local knowledge to support Sirius Minerals and several contrac-tors involved in the construction of the facility which at full production is forecast to produce 20m tonnes of polyhalite
per year - generating pound25bn in exports and contributing pound23bn to UK GDP
Neil McShane AV Dawson rail manager said ldquoHundreds of thousands of tonnes of aggregates are needed for a project of this size With these volumes wersquore keen to promote rail wherever we can for the increased efficiencies and environ-mental benefits it can provide Wersquove been in discussion with the various teams involved in this project for a while now Itrsquos
really exciting to see this first train bringing aggregates into our rail terminal in preparation for the start of constructionrdquobull
Rail freight can play key role in cutting pollutionRail freight should be part of air pol-lution solution say campaigners
In response to the Governmentrsquo draft air quality strategy published on 5 May Philippa Edmunds Freight on Rail Manager Campaign for Better Transport said ldquoThe Governmentrsquos own figures show the extent of road freightrsquos nitrogen dioxide emissions
HGVs are responsible for 21 of ni-trogen dioxide emissions while only accounting for 5 of vehicle miles ldquoRail freight should be part of the solution as it produces up to 15 times less nitrogen dioxide emissions than HGVs for the equivalent journey Rail already does bring freight into the heart of cities where the air quality problems are most acute but it needs more rail freight hubs to expand the traffic to help clean up our citiesrdquo
Click here for the DfT Freight Carbon Review bull
Lineside survey will help cut delaysInstances of train delays caused by trees falling onto the tracks could dramatically reduce as Network Rail rolls-out its national lsquotree cen-susrsquo database which targets spe-cific problem trees to monitor
More than 10 million trees growing next to the railway have been cat-alogued as part of a sophisticated aerial survey covering 20000 miles of Britainrsquos track bull
5
RFG News Apr 2017
Unlocking freight capacity on the networkNetwork Railrsquos timetable shake-up is being implemented after a two-year collaboration with the rail freight sector and in-dustry-wide review into more efficient operations Some 4700 reserved but unused slots were identified for new ser-vices freeing up additional capacity
Paul McMahon Network Railrsquos managing director for freight and national passenger operators said ldquoIt is important the whole rail industry works together to make best use of existing capacity to minimise the need for additional expensive capacity enhance-ment schemes
ldquoThis is a real win-win and has truly been a collaborative piece of work with the freight operators Capacity has been freed up forthe whole railway but essential capacity is reserved for freight operators This is important given the need to support the growth of freight on the network to support the economyrdquo
Russell Mears chief executive of Freightliner and Chair of the Rail Delivery Group said ldquoThe freight operators and NetworkRail have worked together in an effective and pragmatic way for the wider industry good Whilst retaining some key paths as stra-tegic capacity to support future freight growth the release of other residual paths is essential in helping the government get the best value for money from our capacity constrained railwayrdquo bull
GBRfrsquos MD John Smith named asMultimodalrsquos Personality of the YearJohn Smith Managing Director and founder of GB Railfreight (GBRf) was named Multimodal Personality of the Year at the eventrsquos awards evening in Birmingham
Smith who founded GB Railfreight in 1977 was recognised for his inspira-tional leadership and support of young people in the industry Dachser was recognised as Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year Beth OrsquoNeill of Howard Ten-ens won the Young Logistics Profes-sional Award Peel Ports Group won the Innovation in Infrastructure Award and Virgin Atlantic Cargo was named Air Cargo Operator of the Year
Howdenrsquos Joinery and the John Lewis Partnership were both championed by FTA for their green initiatives Awards also went to Freightliner Mediterra-
nean Shipping Company Maritime Transport DP World Southampton and DSV bull
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos RFG meeting at Mul-timodal got off to a positive start with Maggie Simpson RFG Exec-utive Director reporting that inter-modal traffic in the UK had recently experienced a record high quarter with 172bn tonne-km moved up 52 on the same quarter in the previous year
The theme of the meeting was lsquoThe Trading Future ndash the role of rail freight in driving UK exports and importsrsquoMike Noakes (above) Head of RailInfrastructure Department for Busi-ness Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) talking about Governmentrsquos new approach to industrial strategy said they were always asking ldquowhat can you do to help us meet our goalsrdquo So the rail freight industry needed to look at the governmentrsquos priorities and explain for instance
how it can help increase productivity ldquoThe only way to move large amounts of goods around the country is by rail I am convinced there is a huge role for rail freight You just have to define it and grasp itrdquo he told the 80 attendees If the government wants the private sector to take the lead then the pound750 million which Mersey Ports has in-vested in a variety of projects includ-ing the Liverpool 2 container terminal is clear evidence that this is happen-ing said Warren Marshall Group Planning Director Peel Ports And the Northern Powerhouse project is being supported by ports in the north working together to ldquomake a nuisance of ourselves to get a better deal for freightrdquo including rail freight
Ruptesh Pattanayak (pictured) Busi-ness Development Manager Trans-port Sector Fujitsu said the logis-tics industry needed to embrace the digital transformation to grow ndash even to survive ldquoThere is a high availabil-ity of digital technology in the UK but lower rates of adoption that in other countries We need a hyperconnect-ed world where everything is in real time as this allows us to make better decisionsrdquo
A new connection of a more tradi-tional kind was the arrival of the first ever direct freight train from China to the UK earlier this year David Cross Head of Intermodal DB Cargo said trains had been running between Chi-na and Germany for five years and had since been extended to Spain and now into the UK He noted that the train really comes into its own (compared with sea freight) when you are looking at central China to central Europe with an 11 day transit time
between Chengdu and Poland An export service from the UK to China is also set to operate in mid April
John Keefe Director of Public Affairs Eurotunnel said ldquofaster than sea and cheaper than airrdquo had been Euro-tunnelrsquos model for the last 20 years The companyrsquos huge investments in security meant the trains and shut-tles now ran uninterrupted by migrant activity and there was a huge poten-tial for more rail freight He stressed that ldquoBrexit means that we need au-tomation of the border at every level integrating Customs immigration and securityrdquo
The last speaker Steve Rhymes (above) Head of Freight Network Management Network Rail explained that the UK is part of the North Sea ndash Mediterranean strategic freight cor-ridor and Brexit made no difference to that ldquoWe still fully support the corridor as the best way of growing business in the long-term The corridors give customers a one stop shop and allow us to optimise the network and meas-ure and analyse train performancerdquo bull
6
RFG at Multimodal The role of rail freight in UK trade
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos Rail Freight Conference provided an oppor-tunity for delegates to debate current topics affecting the sector from Brexit to innovation in wagon design and service delivery RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley wel-comed delegates and explained that the Rail Minister Paul Maynard who had agreed to give the keynote ad-dress could no longer attend due to the restrictions placed on them by the forthcoming snap General Elec-tion ldquoThis also means that for the next six weeks we will have no Ministerial involvement in rail freight ndash which some might say is an advantagerdquo
Paul McMahon MD Freight and National Passenger Op-erations (FNPO) Network Rail gave an overview of rail freight performance over the year He was pleased with the progress of the Service Plan Review in helping operators run longer heavier trains and with the programme of iden-tifying unused freight paths which were then either returned to lsquowhite spacersquo or selected as strategic capacity for future freight growth He urged delegates to engage with Network Rail in its plans for CP6 (2019-2015) so that when the they are submitted to the regulator at the end of the year ldquoit is a document the sector can support and be proud ofrdquo
The regulator he mentioned is the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) and its CEO Joanne Whittington was the next speak-er She said she fully supported the Network Rail strategy of devolving to the eight regional routes with FNPO as the ninth ldquoThe challenge is for Network Rail to get closer to its customers and build on the possibilities of the route-based structure to help drive improvementrdquo
A panel looking at the implications of Brexit for rail freight comprised Laura Wright Head of European Policy at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) Andrew Meaney Head of Transport at Oxera and Maggie Simpson
Laura Wright explained that the RDG had set out seven key principles for Brexit outcomes ranging from no compromise on safety to measures to allow the railways to access the re-quired workforce Andrew Meaney said Brexit should not be thought of as a sudden impact on the economy but more of a slow drip Maggie Simpson welcomed the focus which Brexit has put on trade ndash and consequently on freight and logistics ndash which helps rail freight gain a higher profile generally
One European company which is entering the UK market for the first time is Swiss provider of freight wagon systems Wascosa and CEO Peter Balzer outlined some of the in-novative designs which help increase productivity through higher payload or faster turnaround times The modular wag-on for instance separates the underframe from the super-structure so that a product requiring a different wagon design can be carried on a return journey He also outlined the role
of telematics in delivering improved information be that to customers or to enhance maintenance
Neil Sime MD Victa Rail Freight outlined how Victa were looking to exploit efficiencies and reduce costs to customers He explained that it was important to use the right equipment and resources for the right task to maximise resources ldquoWe should use the big expensive kit for trunking and then use older kit for localised and internal movementsrdquo It could oper-ate a bit like the deepsea services calling at major ports with smaller shortsea and coastal feeders taking the cargo to the final destination he said
James Day MD Day Group stressed the need to safeguard existing rail-linked aggregate and other industrial sites This includes make sure that local planners not only understand the importance of the site itself but that they also ensure nearby developments are appropriate ndash to avoid expensive housing developments next door where residents will lobby to have the site shut down
For Duncan Clark Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight the biggest challenge in growing intermodal rail freight is finding a balanced trade ldquoYou need an average of 75 loaded back or it destroys the economicsrdquo He said that GBrsquos main competitors are road hauliers not other FOCs and that competition was very tough especially as fuel duty had been frozen since 2011 and Modal Shift Revenue Sup-port funds are being reduced by 20 this year
Lucy Hudson Lead Officer - Freight and Logistics Transport for the North (TfN) explained that TfN involves 19 local gov-ernment and 11 local enterprise partners as well as four de-velopment partners including Network Rail ldquoThis will ensure a coherent and integrated approach including co-manage-ment of the Northrsquos rail franchises and identifying rail priori-tiesrdquo She outlined the latest research on freight which is due to be published later this year
The last speaker was Alfred van Wyk from PD Ports who ex-plained that Teesport is the fifth largest port in the UK by vol-ume and that rail is an integral part of its strategy A regular service to Scotland is already operating and they are already planning a second daily service to Scotland and will launch a new rail service to Daventry in the last quarter of this year Tony Berkeley summed up by requesting that the Secretary of State for Transport whoever that is after the election gave freight an equal status to passengers on the railways and ldquodid not come up with any wacky schemes that involved another complete reorganisationrdquo
Thanks to all our speakers and particularly to Waterfront for their organisation and Freshwater for their sponsorship bull
25th Annual Rail Freight Conference highlights key successes and change
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
RFG News Apr 2017
4
DB Cargo agrees terms with unionsDB Cargo UK says it has reached successful agreements with the four trade unions representing a majority of its workforce meaning it will launch its future business model on 2 July as planned
ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite have been in discussions since October 2016 with DB Cargo when the com-pany announced proposals to cut 893 jobs (almost a third of its workforce) in a restructure triggered by the rapid
decline in coal The working arrange-ments of employees will also be up-dated and modernised
Hans-Georg Werner CEO of DB Car-go UK said ldquoI would like to thank ASLEF RMT TSSA and Unite for their continued dialogue with us Under the pressures of the market we were able to find agreements acceptable to all parties and avoid industrial action We regret that some colleagues will be leaving us but treating our people fairly to secure a business that will be successful in the future has been at the heart of our discussions
ldquoWe will now move forward with our plans to lead the next generation of rail freight which includes key invest-
ments such as new wagons terminal enhancements and combining our core function of delivering goods by rail with bespoke in-house IT solu-tions to give our customers the best service and make it easy for them to do business with usrdquo
As the coal sector for rail freight re-duces other markets including aggre-gates and steel remain buoyant
Werner added ldquoThere is a strong fu-ture for rail freight in the UK because it offers benefits that its competitors (mainly road) cannot Itrsquos efficient itrsquos quick and it removes congestion from our roads because a train can carry much more volume than a truckrdquo bull
First train arrives for Sirius Mineralsrsquo Yorkshire mineThe first train has arrived at AV Dawson to support the construction of a new polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire The ambitious pound24bn project includes the construction of the recently named Woodsmith Mine near Whitby and a 23-mile tunnel to transport the mined ore to process-ing and harbour facilities on Teesside
AV Dawson is providing its logistics expertise and local knowledge to support Sirius Minerals and several contrac-tors involved in the construction of the facility which at full production is forecast to produce 20m tonnes of polyhalite
per year - generating pound25bn in exports and contributing pound23bn to UK GDP
Neil McShane AV Dawson rail manager said ldquoHundreds of thousands of tonnes of aggregates are needed for a project of this size With these volumes wersquore keen to promote rail wherever we can for the increased efficiencies and environ-mental benefits it can provide Wersquove been in discussion with the various teams involved in this project for a while now Itrsquos
really exciting to see this first train bringing aggregates into our rail terminal in preparation for the start of constructionrdquobull
Rail freight can play key role in cutting pollutionRail freight should be part of air pol-lution solution say campaigners
In response to the Governmentrsquo draft air quality strategy published on 5 May Philippa Edmunds Freight on Rail Manager Campaign for Better Transport said ldquoThe Governmentrsquos own figures show the extent of road freightrsquos nitrogen dioxide emissions
HGVs are responsible for 21 of ni-trogen dioxide emissions while only accounting for 5 of vehicle miles ldquoRail freight should be part of the solution as it produces up to 15 times less nitrogen dioxide emissions than HGVs for the equivalent journey Rail already does bring freight into the heart of cities where the air quality problems are most acute but it needs more rail freight hubs to expand the traffic to help clean up our citiesrdquo
Click here for the DfT Freight Carbon Review bull
Lineside survey will help cut delaysInstances of train delays caused by trees falling onto the tracks could dramatically reduce as Network Rail rolls-out its national lsquotree cen-susrsquo database which targets spe-cific problem trees to monitor
More than 10 million trees growing next to the railway have been cat-alogued as part of a sophisticated aerial survey covering 20000 miles of Britainrsquos track bull
5
RFG News Apr 2017
Unlocking freight capacity on the networkNetwork Railrsquos timetable shake-up is being implemented after a two-year collaboration with the rail freight sector and in-dustry-wide review into more efficient operations Some 4700 reserved but unused slots were identified for new ser-vices freeing up additional capacity
Paul McMahon Network Railrsquos managing director for freight and national passenger operators said ldquoIt is important the whole rail industry works together to make best use of existing capacity to minimise the need for additional expensive capacity enhance-ment schemes
ldquoThis is a real win-win and has truly been a collaborative piece of work with the freight operators Capacity has been freed up forthe whole railway but essential capacity is reserved for freight operators This is important given the need to support the growth of freight on the network to support the economyrdquo
Russell Mears chief executive of Freightliner and Chair of the Rail Delivery Group said ldquoThe freight operators and NetworkRail have worked together in an effective and pragmatic way for the wider industry good Whilst retaining some key paths as stra-tegic capacity to support future freight growth the release of other residual paths is essential in helping the government get the best value for money from our capacity constrained railwayrdquo bull
GBRfrsquos MD John Smith named asMultimodalrsquos Personality of the YearJohn Smith Managing Director and founder of GB Railfreight (GBRf) was named Multimodal Personality of the Year at the eventrsquos awards evening in Birmingham
Smith who founded GB Railfreight in 1977 was recognised for his inspira-tional leadership and support of young people in the industry Dachser was recognised as Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year Beth OrsquoNeill of Howard Ten-ens won the Young Logistics Profes-sional Award Peel Ports Group won the Innovation in Infrastructure Award and Virgin Atlantic Cargo was named Air Cargo Operator of the Year
Howdenrsquos Joinery and the John Lewis Partnership were both championed by FTA for their green initiatives Awards also went to Freightliner Mediterra-
nean Shipping Company Maritime Transport DP World Southampton and DSV bull
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos RFG meeting at Mul-timodal got off to a positive start with Maggie Simpson RFG Exec-utive Director reporting that inter-modal traffic in the UK had recently experienced a record high quarter with 172bn tonne-km moved up 52 on the same quarter in the previous year
The theme of the meeting was lsquoThe Trading Future ndash the role of rail freight in driving UK exports and importsrsquoMike Noakes (above) Head of RailInfrastructure Department for Busi-ness Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) talking about Governmentrsquos new approach to industrial strategy said they were always asking ldquowhat can you do to help us meet our goalsrdquo So the rail freight industry needed to look at the governmentrsquos priorities and explain for instance
how it can help increase productivity ldquoThe only way to move large amounts of goods around the country is by rail I am convinced there is a huge role for rail freight You just have to define it and grasp itrdquo he told the 80 attendees If the government wants the private sector to take the lead then the pound750 million which Mersey Ports has in-vested in a variety of projects includ-ing the Liverpool 2 container terminal is clear evidence that this is happen-ing said Warren Marshall Group Planning Director Peel Ports And the Northern Powerhouse project is being supported by ports in the north working together to ldquomake a nuisance of ourselves to get a better deal for freightrdquo including rail freight
Ruptesh Pattanayak (pictured) Busi-ness Development Manager Trans-port Sector Fujitsu said the logis-tics industry needed to embrace the digital transformation to grow ndash even to survive ldquoThere is a high availabil-ity of digital technology in the UK but lower rates of adoption that in other countries We need a hyperconnect-ed world where everything is in real time as this allows us to make better decisionsrdquo
A new connection of a more tradi-tional kind was the arrival of the first ever direct freight train from China to the UK earlier this year David Cross Head of Intermodal DB Cargo said trains had been running between Chi-na and Germany for five years and had since been extended to Spain and now into the UK He noted that the train really comes into its own (compared with sea freight) when you are looking at central China to central Europe with an 11 day transit time
between Chengdu and Poland An export service from the UK to China is also set to operate in mid April
John Keefe Director of Public Affairs Eurotunnel said ldquofaster than sea and cheaper than airrdquo had been Euro-tunnelrsquos model for the last 20 years The companyrsquos huge investments in security meant the trains and shut-tles now ran uninterrupted by migrant activity and there was a huge poten-tial for more rail freight He stressed that ldquoBrexit means that we need au-tomation of the border at every level integrating Customs immigration and securityrdquo
The last speaker Steve Rhymes (above) Head of Freight Network Management Network Rail explained that the UK is part of the North Sea ndash Mediterranean strategic freight cor-ridor and Brexit made no difference to that ldquoWe still fully support the corridor as the best way of growing business in the long-term The corridors give customers a one stop shop and allow us to optimise the network and meas-ure and analyse train performancerdquo bull
6
RFG at Multimodal The role of rail freight in UK trade
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos Rail Freight Conference provided an oppor-tunity for delegates to debate current topics affecting the sector from Brexit to innovation in wagon design and service delivery RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley wel-comed delegates and explained that the Rail Minister Paul Maynard who had agreed to give the keynote ad-dress could no longer attend due to the restrictions placed on them by the forthcoming snap General Elec-tion ldquoThis also means that for the next six weeks we will have no Ministerial involvement in rail freight ndash which some might say is an advantagerdquo
Paul McMahon MD Freight and National Passenger Op-erations (FNPO) Network Rail gave an overview of rail freight performance over the year He was pleased with the progress of the Service Plan Review in helping operators run longer heavier trains and with the programme of iden-tifying unused freight paths which were then either returned to lsquowhite spacersquo or selected as strategic capacity for future freight growth He urged delegates to engage with Network Rail in its plans for CP6 (2019-2015) so that when the they are submitted to the regulator at the end of the year ldquoit is a document the sector can support and be proud ofrdquo
The regulator he mentioned is the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) and its CEO Joanne Whittington was the next speak-er She said she fully supported the Network Rail strategy of devolving to the eight regional routes with FNPO as the ninth ldquoThe challenge is for Network Rail to get closer to its customers and build on the possibilities of the route-based structure to help drive improvementrdquo
A panel looking at the implications of Brexit for rail freight comprised Laura Wright Head of European Policy at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) Andrew Meaney Head of Transport at Oxera and Maggie Simpson
Laura Wright explained that the RDG had set out seven key principles for Brexit outcomes ranging from no compromise on safety to measures to allow the railways to access the re-quired workforce Andrew Meaney said Brexit should not be thought of as a sudden impact on the economy but more of a slow drip Maggie Simpson welcomed the focus which Brexit has put on trade ndash and consequently on freight and logistics ndash which helps rail freight gain a higher profile generally
One European company which is entering the UK market for the first time is Swiss provider of freight wagon systems Wascosa and CEO Peter Balzer outlined some of the in-novative designs which help increase productivity through higher payload or faster turnaround times The modular wag-on for instance separates the underframe from the super-structure so that a product requiring a different wagon design can be carried on a return journey He also outlined the role
of telematics in delivering improved information be that to customers or to enhance maintenance
Neil Sime MD Victa Rail Freight outlined how Victa were looking to exploit efficiencies and reduce costs to customers He explained that it was important to use the right equipment and resources for the right task to maximise resources ldquoWe should use the big expensive kit for trunking and then use older kit for localised and internal movementsrdquo It could oper-ate a bit like the deepsea services calling at major ports with smaller shortsea and coastal feeders taking the cargo to the final destination he said
James Day MD Day Group stressed the need to safeguard existing rail-linked aggregate and other industrial sites This includes make sure that local planners not only understand the importance of the site itself but that they also ensure nearby developments are appropriate ndash to avoid expensive housing developments next door where residents will lobby to have the site shut down
For Duncan Clark Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight the biggest challenge in growing intermodal rail freight is finding a balanced trade ldquoYou need an average of 75 loaded back or it destroys the economicsrdquo He said that GBrsquos main competitors are road hauliers not other FOCs and that competition was very tough especially as fuel duty had been frozen since 2011 and Modal Shift Revenue Sup-port funds are being reduced by 20 this year
Lucy Hudson Lead Officer - Freight and Logistics Transport for the North (TfN) explained that TfN involves 19 local gov-ernment and 11 local enterprise partners as well as four de-velopment partners including Network Rail ldquoThis will ensure a coherent and integrated approach including co-manage-ment of the Northrsquos rail franchises and identifying rail priori-tiesrdquo She outlined the latest research on freight which is due to be published later this year
The last speaker was Alfred van Wyk from PD Ports who ex-plained that Teesport is the fifth largest port in the UK by vol-ume and that rail is an integral part of its strategy A regular service to Scotland is already operating and they are already planning a second daily service to Scotland and will launch a new rail service to Daventry in the last quarter of this year Tony Berkeley summed up by requesting that the Secretary of State for Transport whoever that is after the election gave freight an equal status to passengers on the railways and ldquodid not come up with any wacky schemes that involved another complete reorganisationrdquo
Thanks to all our speakers and particularly to Waterfront for their organisation and Freshwater for their sponsorship bull
25th Annual Rail Freight Conference highlights key successes and change
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
Rail freight can play key role in cutting pollutionRail freight should be part of air pol-lution solution say campaigners
In response to the Governmentrsquo draft air quality strategy published on 5 May Philippa Edmunds Freight on Rail Manager Campaign for Better Transport said ldquoThe Governmentrsquos own figures show the extent of road freightrsquos nitrogen dioxide emissions
HGVs are responsible for 21 of ni-trogen dioxide emissions while only accounting for 5 of vehicle miles ldquoRail freight should be part of the solution as it produces up to 15 times less nitrogen dioxide emissions than HGVs for the equivalent journey Rail already does bring freight into the heart of cities where the air quality problems are most acute but it needs more rail freight hubs to expand the traffic to help clean up our citiesrdquo
Click here for the DfT Freight Carbon Review bull
Lineside survey will help cut delaysInstances of train delays caused by trees falling onto the tracks could dramatically reduce as Network Rail rolls-out its national lsquotree cen-susrsquo database which targets spe-cific problem trees to monitor
More than 10 million trees growing next to the railway have been cat-alogued as part of a sophisticated aerial survey covering 20000 miles of Britainrsquos track bull
5
RFG News Apr 2017
Unlocking freight capacity on the networkNetwork Railrsquos timetable shake-up is being implemented after a two-year collaboration with the rail freight sector and in-dustry-wide review into more efficient operations Some 4700 reserved but unused slots were identified for new ser-vices freeing up additional capacity
Paul McMahon Network Railrsquos managing director for freight and national passenger operators said ldquoIt is important the whole rail industry works together to make best use of existing capacity to minimise the need for additional expensive capacity enhance-ment schemes
ldquoThis is a real win-win and has truly been a collaborative piece of work with the freight operators Capacity has been freed up forthe whole railway but essential capacity is reserved for freight operators This is important given the need to support the growth of freight on the network to support the economyrdquo
Russell Mears chief executive of Freightliner and Chair of the Rail Delivery Group said ldquoThe freight operators and NetworkRail have worked together in an effective and pragmatic way for the wider industry good Whilst retaining some key paths as stra-tegic capacity to support future freight growth the release of other residual paths is essential in helping the government get the best value for money from our capacity constrained railwayrdquo bull
GBRfrsquos MD John Smith named asMultimodalrsquos Personality of the YearJohn Smith Managing Director and founder of GB Railfreight (GBRf) was named Multimodal Personality of the Year at the eventrsquos awards evening in Birmingham
Smith who founded GB Railfreight in 1977 was recognised for his inspira-tional leadership and support of young people in the industry Dachser was recognised as Multimodal Exhibitor of the Year Beth OrsquoNeill of Howard Ten-ens won the Young Logistics Profes-sional Award Peel Ports Group won the Innovation in Infrastructure Award and Virgin Atlantic Cargo was named Air Cargo Operator of the Year
Howdenrsquos Joinery and the John Lewis Partnership were both championed by FTA for their green initiatives Awards also went to Freightliner Mediterra-
nean Shipping Company Maritime Transport DP World Southampton and DSV bull
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos RFG meeting at Mul-timodal got off to a positive start with Maggie Simpson RFG Exec-utive Director reporting that inter-modal traffic in the UK had recently experienced a record high quarter with 172bn tonne-km moved up 52 on the same quarter in the previous year
The theme of the meeting was lsquoThe Trading Future ndash the role of rail freight in driving UK exports and importsrsquoMike Noakes (above) Head of RailInfrastructure Department for Busi-ness Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) talking about Governmentrsquos new approach to industrial strategy said they were always asking ldquowhat can you do to help us meet our goalsrdquo So the rail freight industry needed to look at the governmentrsquos priorities and explain for instance
how it can help increase productivity ldquoThe only way to move large amounts of goods around the country is by rail I am convinced there is a huge role for rail freight You just have to define it and grasp itrdquo he told the 80 attendees If the government wants the private sector to take the lead then the pound750 million which Mersey Ports has in-vested in a variety of projects includ-ing the Liverpool 2 container terminal is clear evidence that this is happen-ing said Warren Marshall Group Planning Director Peel Ports And the Northern Powerhouse project is being supported by ports in the north working together to ldquomake a nuisance of ourselves to get a better deal for freightrdquo including rail freight
Ruptesh Pattanayak (pictured) Busi-ness Development Manager Trans-port Sector Fujitsu said the logis-tics industry needed to embrace the digital transformation to grow ndash even to survive ldquoThere is a high availabil-ity of digital technology in the UK but lower rates of adoption that in other countries We need a hyperconnect-ed world where everything is in real time as this allows us to make better decisionsrdquo
A new connection of a more tradi-tional kind was the arrival of the first ever direct freight train from China to the UK earlier this year David Cross Head of Intermodal DB Cargo said trains had been running between Chi-na and Germany for five years and had since been extended to Spain and now into the UK He noted that the train really comes into its own (compared with sea freight) when you are looking at central China to central Europe with an 11 day transit time
between Chengdu and Poland An export service from the UK to China is also set to operate in mid April
John Keefe Director of Public Affairs Eurotunnel said ldquofaster than sea and cheaper than airrdquo had been Euro-tunnelrsquos model for the last 20 years The companyrsquos huge investments in security meant the trains and shut-tles now ran uninterrupted by migrant activity and there was a huge poten-tial for more rail freight He stressed that ldquoBrexit means that we need au-tomation of the border at every level integrating Customs immigration and securityrdquo
The last speaker Steve Rhymes (above) Head of Freight Network Management Network Rail explained that the UK is part of the North Sea ndash Mediterranean strategic freight cor-ridor and Brexit made no difference to that ldquoWe still fully support the corridor as the best way of growing business in the long-term The corridors give customers a one stop shop and allow us to optimise the network and meas-ure and analyse train performancerdquo bull
6
RFG at Multimodal The role of rail freight in UK trade
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos Rail Freight Conference provided an oppor-tunity for delegates to debate current topics affecting the sector from Brexit to innovation in wagon design and service delivery RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley wel-comed delegates and explained that the Rail Minister Paul Maynard who had agreed to give the keynote ad-dress could no longer attend due to the restrictions placed on them by the forthcoming snap General Elec-tion ldquoThis also means that for the next six weeks we will have no Ministerial involvement in rail freight ndash which some might say is an advantagerdquo
Paul McMahon MD Freight and National Passenger Op-erations (FNPO) Network Rail gave an overview of rail freight performance over the year He was pleased with the progress of the Service Plan Review in helping operators run longer heavier trains and with the programme of iden-tifying unused freight paths which were then either returned to lsquowhite spacersquo or selected as strategic capacity for future freight growth He urged delegates to engage with Network Rail in its plans for CP6 (2019-2015) so that when the they are submitted to the regulator at the end of the year ldquoit is a document the sector can support and be proud ofrdquo
The regulator he mentioned is the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) and its CEO Joanne Whittington was the next speak-er She said she fully supported the Network Rail strategy of devolving to the eight regional routes with FNPO as the ninth ldquoThe challenge is for Network Rail to get closer to its customers and build on the possibilities of the route-based structure to help drive improvementrdquo
A panel looking at the implications of Brexit for rail freight comprised Laura Wright Head of European Policy at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) Andrew Meaney Head of Transport at Oxera and Maggie Simpson
Laura Wright explained that the RDG had set out seven key principles for Brexit outcomes ranging from no compromise on safety to measures to allow the railways to access the re-quired workforce Andrew Meaney said Brexit should not be thought of as a sudden impact on the economy but more of a slow drip Maggie Simpson welcomed the focus which Brexit has put on trade ndash and consequently on freight and logistics ndash which helps rail freight gain a higher profile generally
One European company which is entering the UK market for the first time is Swiss provider of freight wagon systems Wascosa and CEO Peter Balzer outlined some of the in-novative designs which help increase productivity through higher payload or faster turnaround times The modular wag-on for instance separates the underframe from the super-structure so that a product requiring a different wagon design can be carried on a return journey He also outlined the role
of telematics in delivering improved information be that to customers or to enhance maintenance
Neil Sime MD Victa Rail Freight outlined how Victa were looking to exploit efficiencies and reduce costs to customers He explained that it was important to use the right equipment and resources for the right task to maximise resources ldquoWe should use the big expensive kit for trunking and then use older kit for localised and internal movementsrdquo It could oper-ate a bit like the deepsea services calling at major ports with smaller shortsea and coastal feeders taking the cargo to the final destination he said
James Day MD Day Group stressed the need to safeguard existing rail-linked aggregate and other industrial sites This includes make sure that local planners not only understand the importance of the site itself but that they also ensure nearby developments are appropriate ndash to avoid expensive housing developments next door where residents will lobby to have the site shut down
For Duncan Clark Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight the biggest challenge in growing intermodal rail freight is finding a balanced trade ldquoYou need an average of 75 loaded back or it destroys the economicsrdquo He said that GBrsquos main competitors are road hauliers not other FOCs and that competition was very tough especially as fuel duty had been frozen since 2011 and Modal Shift Revenue Sup-port funds are being reduced by 20 this year
Lucy Hudson Lead Officer - Freight and Logistics Transport for the North (TfN) explained that TfN involves 19 local gov-ernment and 11 local enterprise partners as well as four de-velopment partners including Network Rail ldquoThis will ensure a coherent and integrated approach including co-manage-ment of the Northrsquos rail franchises and identifying rail priori-tiesrdquo She outlined the latest research on freight which is due to be published later this year
The last speaker was Alfred van Wyk from PD Ports who ex-plained that Teesport is the fifth largest port in the UK by vol-ume and that rail is an integral part of its strategy A regular service to Scotland is already operating and they are already planning a second daily service to Scotland and will launch a new rail service to Daventry in the last quarter of this year Tony Berkeley summed up by requesting that the Secretary of State for Transport whoever that is after the election gave freight an equal status to passengers on the railways and ldquodid not come up with any wacky schemes that involved another complete reorganisationrdquo
Thanks to all our speakers and particularly to Waterfront for their organisation and Freshwater for their sponsorship bull
25th Annual Rail Freight Conference highlights key successes and change
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos RFG meeting at Mul-timodal got off to a positive start with Maggie Simpson RFG Exec-utive Director reporting that inter-modal traffic in the UK had recently experienced a record high quarter with 172bn tonne-km moved up 52 on the same quarter in the previous year
The theme of the meeting was lsquoThe Trading Future ndash the role of rail freight in driving UK exports and importsrsquoMike Noakes (above) Head of RailInfrastructure Department for Busi-ness Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) talking about Governmentrsquos new approach to industrial strategy said they were always asking ldquowhat can you do to help us meet our goalsrdquo So the rail freight industry needed to look at the governmentrsquos priorities and explain for instance
how it can help increase productivity ldquoThe only way to move large amounts of goods around the country is by rail I am convinced there is a huge role for rail freight You just have to define it and grasp itrdquo he told the 80 attendees If the government wants the private sector to take the lead then the pound750 million which Mersey Ports has in-vested in a variety of projects includ-ing the Liverpool 2 container terminal is clear evidence that this is happen-ing said Warren Marshall Group Planning Director Peel Ports And the Northern Powerhouse project is being supported by ports in the north working together to ldquomake a nuisance of ourselves to get a better deal for freightrdquo including rail freight
Ruptesh Pattanayak (pictured) Busi-ness Development Manager Trans-port Sector Fujitsu said the logis-tics industry needed to embrace the digital transformation to grow ndash even to survive ldquoThere is a high availabil-ity of digital technology in the UK but lower rates of adoption that in other countries We need a hyperconnect-ed world where everything is in real time as this allows us to make better decisionsrdquo
A new connection of a more tradi-tional kind was the arrival of the first ever direct freight train from China to the UK earlier this year David Cross Head of Intermodal DB Cargo said trains had been running between Chi-na and Germany for five years and had since been extended to Spain and now into the UK He noted that the train really comes into its own (compared with sea freight) when you are looking at central China to central Europe with an 11 day transit time
between Chengdu and Poland An export service from the UK to China is also set to operate in mid April
John Keefe Director of Public Affairs Eurotunnel said ldquofaster than sea and cheaper than airrdquo had been Euro-tunnelrsquos model for the last 20 years The companyrsquos huge investments in security meant the trains and shut-tles now ran uninterrupted by migrant activity and there was a huge poten-tial for more rail freight He stressed that ldquoBrexit means that we need au-tomation of the border at every level integrating Customs immigration and securityrdquo
The last speaker Steve Rhymes (above) Head of Freight Network Management Network Rail explained that the UK is part of the North Sea ndash Mediterranean strategic freight cor-ridor and Brexit made no difference to that ldquoWe still fully support the corridor as the best way of growing business in the long-term The corridors give customers a one stop shop and allow us to optimise the network and meas-ure and analyse train performancerdquo bull
6
RFG at Multimodal The role of rail freight in UK trade
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos Rail Freight Conference provided an oppor-tunity for delegates to debate current topics affecting the sector from Brexit to innovation in wagon design and service delivery RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley wel-comed delegates and explained that the Rail Minister Paul Maynard who had agreed to give the keynote ad-dress could no longer attend due to the restrictions placed on them by the forthcoming snap General Elec-tion ldquoThis also means that for the next six weeks we will have no Ministerial involvement in rail freight ndash which some might say is an advantagerdquo
Paul McMahon MD Freight and National Passenger Op-erations (FNPO) Network Rail gave an overview of rail freight performance over the year He was pleased with the progress of the Service Plan Review in helping operators run longer heavier trains and with the programme of iden-tifying unused freight paths which were then either returned to lsquowhite spacersquo or selected as strategic capacity for future freight growth He urged delegates to engage with Network Rail in its plans for CP6 (2019-2015) so that when the they are submitted to the regulator at the end of the year ldquoit is a document the sector can support and be proud ofrdquo
The regulator he mentioned is the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) and its CEO Joanne Whittington was the next speak-er She said she fully supported the Network Rail strategy of devolving to the eight regional routes with FNPO as the ninth ldquoThe challenge is for Network Rail to get closer to its customers and build on the possibilities of the route-based structure to help drive improvementrdquo
A panel looking at the implications of Brexit for rail freight comprised Laura Wright Head of European Policy at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) Andrew Meaney Head of Transport at Oxera and Maggie Simpson
Laura Wright explained that the RDG had set out seven key principles for Brexit outcomes ranging from no compromise on safety to measures to allow the railways to access the re-quired workforce Andrew Meaney said Brexit should not be thought of as a sudden impact on the economy but more of a slow drip Maggie Simpson welcomed the focus which Brexit has put on trade ndash and consequently on freight and logistics ndash which helps rail freight gain a higher profile generally
One European company which is entering the UK market for the first time is Swiss provider of freight wagon systems Wascosa and CEO Peter Balzer outlined some of the in-novative designs which help increase productivity through higher payload or faster turnaround times The modular wag-on for instance separates the underframe from the super-structure so that a product requiring a different wagon design can be carried on a return journey He also outlined the role
of telematics in delivering improved information be that to customers or to enhance maintenance
Neil Sime MD Victa Rail Freight outlined how Victa were looking to exploit efficiencies and reduce costs to customers He explained that it was important to use the right equipment and resources for the right task to maximise resources ldquoWe should use the big expensive kit for trunking and then use older kit for localised and internal movementsrdquo It could oper-ate a bit like the deepsea services calling at major ports with smaller shortsea and coastal feeders taking the cargo to the final destination he said
James Day MD Day Group stressed the need to safeguard existing rail-linked aggregate and other industrial sites This includes make sure that local planners not only understand the importance of the site itself but that they also ensure nearby developments are appropriate ndash to avoid expensive housing developments next door where residents will lobby to have the site shut down
For Duncan Clark Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight the biggest challenge in growing intermodal rail freight is finding a balanced trade ldquoYou need an average of 75 loaded back or it destroys the economicsrdquo He said that GBrsquos main competitors are road hauliers not other FOCs and that competition was very tough especially as fuel duty had been frozen since 2011 and Modal Shift Revenue Sup-port funds are being reduced by 20 this year
Lucy Hudson Lead Officer - Freight and Logistics Transport for the North (TfN) explained that TfN involves 19 local gov-ernment and 11 local enterprise partners as well as four de-velopment partners including Network Rail ldquoThis will ensure a coherent and integrated approach including co-manage-ment of the Northrsquos rail franchises and identifying rail priori-tiesrdquo She outlined the latest research on freight which is due to be published later this year
The last speaker was Alfred van Wyk from PD Ports who ex-plained that Teesport is the fifth largest port in the UK by vol-ume and that rail is an integral part of its strategy A regular service to Scotland is already operating and they are already planning a second daily service to Scotland and will launch a new rail service to Daventry in the last quarter of this year Tony Berkeley summed up by requesting that the Secretary of State for Transport whoever that is after the election gave freight an equal status to passengers on the railways and ldquodid not come up with any wacky schemes that involved another complete reorganisationrdquo
Thanks to all our speakers and particularly to Waterfront for their organisation and Freshwater for their sponsorship bull
25th Annual Rail Freight Conference highlights key successes and change
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
RFG News Apr 2017
This yearrsquos Rail Freight Conference provided an oppor-tunity for delegates to debate current topics affecting the sector from Brexit to innovation in wagon design and service delivery RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley wel-comed delegates and explained that the Rail Minister Paul Maynard who had agreed to give the keynote ad-dress could no longer attend due to the restrictions placed on them by the forthcoming snap General Elec-tion ldquoThis also means that for the next six weeks we will have no Ministerial involvement in rail freight ndash which some might say is an advantagerdquo
Paul McMahon MD Freight and National Passenger Op-erations (FNPO) Network Rail gave an overview of rail freight performance over the year He was pleased with the progress of the Service Plan Review in helping operators run longer heavier trains and with the programme of iden-tifying unused freight paths which were then either returned to lsquowhite spacersquo or selected as strategic capacity for future freight growth He urged delegates to engage with Network Rail in its plans for CP6 (2019-2015) so that when the they are submitted to the regulator at the end of the year ldquoit is a document the sector can support and be proud ofrdquo
The regulator he mentioned is the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) and its CEO Joanne Whittington was the next speak-er She said she fully supported the Network Rail strategy of devolving to the eight regional routes with FNPO as the ninth ldquoThe challenge is for Network Rail to get closer to its customers and build on the possibilities of the route-based structure to help drive improvementrdquo
A panel looking at the implications of Brexit for rail freight comprised Laura Wright Head of European Policy at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) Andrew Meaney Head of Transport at Oxera and Maggie Simpson
Laura Wright explained that the RDG had set out seven key principles for Brexit outcomes ranging from no compromise on safety to measures to allow the railways to access the re-quired workforce Andrew Meaney said Brexit should not be thought of as a sudden impact on the economy but more of a slow drip Maggie Simpson welcomed the focus which Brexit has put on trade ndash and consequently on freight and logistics ndash which helps rail freight gain a higher profile generally
One European company which is entering the UK market for the first time is Swiss provider of freight wagon systems Wascosa and CEO Peter Balzer outlined some of the in-novative designs which help increase productivity through higher payload or faster turnaround times The modular wag-on for instance separates the underframe from the super-structure so that a product requiring a different wagon design can be carried on a return journey He also outlined the role
of telematics in delivering improved information be that to customers or to enhance maintenance
Neil Sime MD Victa Rail Freight outlined how Victa were looking to exploit efficiencies and reduce costs to customers He explained that it was important to use the right equipment and resources for the right task to maximise resources ldquoWe should use the big expensive kit for trunking and then use older kit for localised and internal movementsrdquo It could oper-ate a bit like the deepsea services calling at major ports with smaller shortsea and coastal feeders taking the cargo to the final destination he said
James Day MD Day Group stressed the need to safeguard existing rail-linked aggregate and other industrial sites This includes make sure that local planners not only understand the importance of the site itself but that they also ensure nearby developments are appropriate ndash to avoid expensive housing developments next door where residents will lobby to have the site shut down
For Duncan Clark Head of Strategic Development at GB Railfreight the biggest challenge in growing intermodal rail freight is finding a balanced trade ldquoYou need an average of 75 loaded back or it destroys the economicsrdquo He said that GBrsquos main competitors are road hauliers not other FOCs and that competition was very tough especially as fuel duty had been frozen since 2011 and Modal Shift Revenue Sup-port funds are being reduced by 20 this year
Lucy Hudson Lead Officer - Freight and Logistics Transport for the North (TfN) explained that TfN involves 19 local gov-ernment and 11 local enterprise partners as well as four de-velopment partners including Network Rail ldquoThis will ensure a coherent and integrated approach including co-manage-ment of the Northrsquos rail franchises and identifying rail priori-tiesrdquo She outlined the latest research on freight which is due to be published later this year
The last speaker was Alfred van Wyk from PD Ports who ex-plained that Teesport is the fifth largest port in the UK by vol-ume and that rail is an integral part of its strategy A regular service to Scotland is already operating and they are already planning a second daily service to Scotland and will launch a new rail service to Daventry in the last quarter of this year Tony Berkeley summed up by requesting that the Secretary of State for Transport whoever that is after the election gave freight an equal status to passengers on the railways and ldquodid not come up with any wacky schemes that involved another complete reorganisationrdquo
Thanks to all our speakers and particularly to Waterfront for their organisation and Freshwater for their sponsorship bull
25th Annual Rail Freight Conference highlights key successes and change
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
Removing modal shift grants could result in halving the number of cross-border rail freight traffic flows and ldquosee a return to road haulage with the regrettable loss of economic environmental and social benefits being achievedrdquo according to Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands He was speaking at RFGrsquos annual Scottish Conference this year held in Edinburgh on 1 March with more than 50 people attending Mr Yousaf said the Department for Transportrsquos plans to re-move the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grants threatened three of the six routes between England and Scotland and that he strongly urged the DfT to revisit this decision He wants the rail freight industry to work more closely with his department and said he was keen to hear proposals which would help modal shift and maybe attract grant funds ldquoThere is a real opportunity here but there is no point us cre-ating an incentive if it is not responsive to business needsrdquoScotland has a strong track record of incorporating freight alongside passenger requirements into its project specifica-tions Mr Yousaf explained And there was already the com-mitment of a pound5 billion package of transformative improve-ments to infrastructure and services in Scotlandrsquos railways up until 2019 ldquoSpecifically the pound30m Scottish Strategic Rail Freight Invest-ment Fund is supporting the industry as it looks towards un-locking the capacity and capability of the rail freight network in support of growth and capitalising on new market oppor-tunitiesrdquo Jonathan Pugh Head of Strategy amp Planning Network Rail Scotland said we need to think of rail as part of the logistics chain and in terms of cost reliability and convenience ldquoIn Scotland we have good collaborative relationship between Network Rail the government and trains operators but we have to recognise we do not always deliver what rail freight needs We need to ensure the availability of routes that are lsquocleanrsquo fast and convenientrdquo Debbie Francis Managing Director DRS called on Network Rail to be more efficient in the way it delivers projects such as connections to customer sites to make it more attractive for (potential) rail freight customers ldquoI would also like to see rail freight operators work more closely together We should be collaborating operationally and also share learning We have to recognise our main competition is road freight not
each otherrdquo During the panel discussion Neil McNicholas Business Development Director Freightliner acknowledged that road freight sets the benchmark for price and suggested that rail needs a 15-20 cost reduction to attract new customers Bill Reeve Director of Rail Transport Scotland said hersquod been away from rail freight for a few years and it was a bit depressing to see the same issues being discussed ldquoWe need longer faster heavier trains with better paths to drive down costsrdquo Chris Hemsley Deputy Director Markets amp Competition ORR provided an update on ORRrsquos plans for periodic re-view 2018 which include a review of access charges He highlighted how ORR will be looking to Network Rail to move decisions closer to the customers and end users to make the rail market less regulator-led and more focussed on the customers Chris Swan Senior Manager Rail amp Shipping Tarmac said that rail is not good at doing things at the last minute so it was important that operators should engage early in the planning of any projects He explained that Tarmac has a pro-rail executive board and the company has invested a lot in new terminals and connections and so ldquowe want that reflected in future charging so that we are not punished for thatrdquo Neil Amner a transport and environment lawyer and Presi-dent of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce explained that manufacturers and others are getting frustrated by the focus on Brexit and talk of a second referendum and had more pressing issues such as cash flow and margins With chang-ing retail patterns they also need to ask lsquoare we moving the right stuff to the right placerdquo David Spaven RFGrsquos Scottish Representative reviewed the grouprsquos work over the last year including collaboration with Transport Scotland and other industry partners in the Scotland Freight Joint Board to follow through on Transport Scotlandrsquos Delivering the Goods rail freight strategy notably the new guide to rail freight for potential customers entitled Delivering Your Goods Another key development was Net-work Railrsquos review of Strategic Freight Sites to which RFG was also contributing analysis of key potential sites outside rail industry ownership bull
8
RFG News Apr 2017
RFG tackles the issues impacting Scottish freight
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
David Spaven scoops another rail book award The RFGrsquos Scottish Representative David Spaven has won an award for his latest book scooping the national lsquoRailway Book of the Yearrsquo award for his political social and business history of the Far North Line from Inver-ness to Wick and Thurso He was announced as the cat-egory winner at a ceremony held by the Railway amp Canal Historical Society in Exeter
Writing in his personal capacity Edinburgh-based David is building a great reputation for his work having published Highland Survivor the story of the Far North Line in 2016 by Kessock Books
The Society which encourages the writing of lsquowell-re-searched interesting and readable books in the field of transport historyrsquo has been making annual awards since 2004 and this is the second occasion on which Spaven has been an award winner His first book Mapping the Railways (which has sold 70000 copies) was awarded lsquoPopular Trans-port Book of the Yearrsquo in 2013
The Societyrsquos citation for Highland Survivor states lsquoThe fo-cus of this book is the story of the linersquos survival since the 1950s told by someone who for much of that time has been closely associated with it in a professional capacity as a railway manager and consultanthellipThe author writes with enthusiasm and authority advocating local management to enable the linersquos continued survival and emphasising the importance of developing local traffic south of Tain and pro-moting tourism on the northern section It is important read-ing for those interested in railway historyrsquo Mike Constable a member of the awards panel said ldquoI couldnrsquot put it downrdquo
David said lsquoIrsquom delighted that this award will bring addition-al focus to a much-neglected railway which deserves the same kind of attention as the better-known classic Highland tourist lines to Kyle Fort William Mallaig and Oban ScotRail and tourist bodies should be applying to the Far North Line the same kind of transformative marketing as the highly suc-cessful North Coast 500 road campaign The railway pene-trates territory where no road goes and over its half a dozen
distinct geographical sections it skirts estuaries climbs be-tween mountain ranges and runs along a dramatic unspoilt coastline This is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered
ldquoI began a working life spent in and around the rail indus-try on the Far North Line in 1973 and it has been a real pleasure to produce the first detailed account of its remark-able escape from the Beeching axe in 1964 and its subse-quent chequered history My aim was always to produce a well- researched and readable political social and business history ndash rather than a traditional railway book focussing on locomotives and engineering ndash so itrsquos a wonderful accolade to receive this prestigious award from the Railway amp Canal Historical Society He added ldquoItrsquos also fitting that the awards are made possible by a legacy from the late David St John Thomas ndash author of numerous books himself and well-known as a founder of the David amp Charles publishing house ndash who spent the latter decades of his life in Nairn and took a keen interest in Highland railwaysrdquo
Davidrsquos books are available from Kessock Books wwwkessockbookscouk bull
9
RFG News Apr 2017
GBRF signs deal to test Hitachi electric trainsGB Railfreight (GBRf) has won a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe to test their newly built electric intercity trains on the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
Testing of Hitachirsquos electric trains be-gins in Spring 2017 Since September 2013 the companies have worked to-gether to facilitate the testing and
commissioning of the new bi-mode intercity trains part of the Intercity Ex-press Programme (IEP)
The first two electric only test trains for the ECML arrived at Hitachirsquos new-ly constructed Doncaster depot in February As part of the new contract due to run until April 2020 GBRf will provide train crew for all aspects of the testing and commissioning pro-gramme
John Smith Managing Director of GB Railfreight said ldquoThe state-of-the-art IEP trains will transform rail travel in the UK and create opportunities for
growth across several regions Irsquom pleased that GB Railfreight has the opportunity to extend its relationship with Hitachi to ensure that these trains are tested and commissioned so that they are ready to deliver im-proved services for rail passengersrdquo
Andy Rogers IEP Programme Direc-tor at Hitachi Rail Europe said ldquoWe take great pride in watching our new intercity trains run on the UK rail net-work We look forward to working with GB Railfreight as we reach our next test milestone of running electric only trains on the East Coast main linerdquo bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
RFG Events Apr 2017
RFG Events Calendar 2017
7 February - RFG Membersrsquo PartyTruckles Central London
On 7 February RFG hosted its popular Membersrsquo Party at Truckles Central London The Membersrsquo Party is always great fun and brings together RFG members and their guests to network and create new business opportunities while catching up with old
friends
27 - 28 June - Summer Group Meeting amp BBQOrsett Hall Essex
The RFG Summer Group Meeting will be held at Orsett Hall Essex the popular RFG Summer BBQ will take place on the previous evening Tuesday 27 June If you are planning on attending the BBQ and meeting you are advised to book your hotel
accommodation Call 01375 891402 and quote The Rail Freight Group room rates are pound102 to pound127 rooms are limited and will be held until 27 May
12 September - RFG Awards DinnerThe 10th Annual RFG Awards dinner will be held on 12 September at Shendish Manor RFG is pleased to announced that Pete Waterman has agreed to be our guest speaker we look forward to hearing about not only his thoughts on the rail industry but
also his interesting music career To celebrate our 10th anniversary in addition to our Awards presentations we will be also presenting a memento to all RFG
members who have been members for 10 years or more in appreciation of their support
1 November - AGM and Autumn Group MeetingThe RFG now hosts its Annual General Meeting Annual Policy Meeting and Autumn Group Meeting at the same event
Details to follow
13 December 2017 - Christmas Lunch Lancaster LondonDetails to follow
1 March - Scottish ConferenceMacdonald Holyrood Edinburgh
The RFGrsquos Annual Scottish Conference will take place on 1 March 2017 at the MacDonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh We are pleased to announce that Humza Yousaf MSP Minister for Transport and the Islands Scottish Government has agreed to be
our keynote speaker
4 April - Multimodal Group Meeting Multimodal Birmingham
Rail freight has always been closely linked to international trade be that though ports or Channel Tunnel With the renewed focus on a post Brexit economy the importance of these routes is greater than ever At our seminar at Multimodal 2017 we will
be discussing how rail freight can play a part in driving UK trade looking at recent developments technological change and Government and industry priorities Speakers will be announced shortly
26 April - Rail Freight ConferenceAnnual Rail Freight Conference venues - Victoria London
The Rail Freight Group Conference returns for its 25th year convening the entire industry to explore how to respond to emerging opportunities and overcome the biggest challenges facing the sector in 2017 and beyond
Call 0207 067 1597 to book
To book your place at any of the RFGrsquos excellent events throughout the year please call Phillippa OrsquoShea on 020 3116 007 email her at phillipparfgorguk or visit our website wwwrfgorgukevents for more details and booking forms
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
RFG News Apr 2017
11
GB Railfreight (GBRf) has convert-ed 49 wagons to move aggregates from Tarmac quarries
The re-purposed coal hoppers also known as Vulcan wagons have been converted by removing the middle section to make them an appropri-ate length for aggregate use whilst retaining their 102-tonne maximum gross laden weight An initial set of 24 wagons has been converted and they are working trains from Tarmacrsquos Ar-cow quarry to Bredbury Agecroft and Leeds A second set of 25 wagons has now been converted and these will be working further services from Arcow and Swinden quarries The newly-fit-ted wagons will convey a range of dif-ferent size aggregate materials
GBRf is one year into a five-year con-tract with Tarmac hauling aggregates
from Arcow and Swinden quarries
John Smith managing director GB Railfreight said ldquoGB Railfreight is de-lighted to work with Tarmac hauling aggregates from its quarries and the refurbishments we have been able to do as part of this service We are very pleased to have been able to re-furbish and upgrade 49 new wagons and continue to find innovative ways to support our customers By being able to take such innovative meas-ures and have positive relationships with our customers like Tarmac we are able to proudly call ourselves one of the leaders of our industryrdquo
The arrival of the latest new wagon sets highlights the ongoing success of Tarmacrsquos rail operations as the lead-ing construction solutions business responds to increasing customer de-
mand for delivery of high quality con-struction materials
Chris Swan Head of Rail at Tarmac said ldquoIncreasing rail freight capability supports our underlying commitment to sustainability enabling us not only to lower the whole life carbon foot-print of customers projects but also reduce our transport CO2 levels Efficient wagons have a key role to play in delivering these ambitions and so itrsquos good to see the repurposing of materials and equipment with the ar-rival of this latest wagon set from GB Railfreightrdquo bull
RFG welcomes rail safety training designed for constructionA new training course offering rail safety awareness training to the construction materials industry has been welcomed by Rail Freight Group ldquoWith increasing volumes of aggregates and other building materials being delivered to construction sites by rail this is an excellent time to launch a training course on rail safety for those working in the construction industryrdquo says Maggie Simpson RFG executive director ldquoWe are delighted that the initiative which came from RFGrsquos construction working group and is supported by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) has been taken up by some of our members and developed into an on-going series of train-ing coursesrdquo
The programme which includes both interactive theory and practical elements of loading and unloading rail wagons and working in sidings has been designed by rail freight oper-ations specialists Victa Railfreight and courses are offered nationwide by Mentor Training Solutions Safety has been a high priority in the rail and construction industries for many years but specialist training can be dif-ficult for individual companies spread over many sites to organise themselves so this provides an ideal opportunity says Ms Simpson More than 40 of the construction materials used in London is delivered by rail with more than 20m tonnes transported annually throughout the UK For more details on training courses contact wwwmentor-trainingsolutionscouk bull
GBRf showcases refurbished coal hoppers for Tarmac deal
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
RFG Opinion Apr 2017
Following the successful re-opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for passenger services Transport Scotland has now commissioned a corridor feasibility study which will examine the scope to push the railway onwards to Hawick and Carlisle So how realistic are the proposals for extension from Tweedbank and could there be any openings for rail freight
RFGrsquos Scottish representative David Spaven ndash writing here in a personal capacity ndash summarises the prospects which he explores in more detail in the forthcoming new edition of his book Waverley Route the battle for the Borders Railway to be published by Stenlake Publishing this summer lsquoFrom the outset the new Borders Railway was envisaged as a passenger-only operation and this is the core market for any extension to the towns of Melrose St Boswells and Hawick ndash the latter just 18 miles from Tweedbank While there are significant engineering challenges getting to Haw-ick none of these are on the scale for example of the Ed-inburgh City Bypass barrier and the completely new 2-mile railway through Shawfair which todayrsquos Borders Railway had to face lsquoSouth of Hawick several major structures have gone and ndash critically ndash the rail corridor traverses largely unpopulated countryside Given that the Victorians had their doubts about the viability of constructing a railway through the lsquoDebatable Landsrsquo by Riccarton and Newcastleton how realistic is it to hope for a modern railway from Hawick to Carlisle From my perspective this hinges fundamentally on the prospects for timber being moved by rail from the Kielder Wauchope Newcastleton and Kershope Forests to markets in England ndash and that is not an unrealistic aim as back in the late 1990s the Borders Transport Futures company came close to re-alising an FFG-assisted 23-mile freight-only line from Long-town (served from the West Coast Main Line) to Riccarton
with an 8-mile branch thence to Kielder Detailed plans were on the point of being lodged at Westminster when Railtrackndash who had previously been supportive ndash got cold feet and then the price of domestic timber (and the transport costs it could bear) dropped sharply in response to a flood of imports from the Baltic countries lsquoA freight line to Riccarton would leave lsquojustrsquo 13 miles of empty traffic-less country to connect with a Hawick-Tweed-bank-Edinburgh passenger railway If the missing link were ever completed then the prospects for running through ex-press passenger trains from Edinburgh via the Borders (with associated regional economic benefits) to key destinations such as Manchester and Liverpool would be enhanced ndash but could only be achieved with a substantial upgrade of the sub-optimal current Borders Railway which was designed to accommodate just a lsquoone size fits allrsquo service calling at all stations At present with constraints on public spending like-ly to extend far into the future that may seem like a big leap of faith ndash but with political will progress could be made on some or all of such enhancements even before an extension from Tweedbank to Hawick lsquoSo perhaps the old Waverley Route corridor which until its closing days in 1969 was dominated by Anglo-Scottish train-loads of cars cement chemicals and general merchandise will once again see rail freight Ironically the one commodity which the line did not carry was the timber which now sur-rounds the corridor and is the key to a through route ever returningrsquo [Photo caption Freightliner Heavy Haul No 66 605 eases a returning empty ballast train down the 1 in 70 Borthwick Bank on 3rd November 2014 overlooked by Borthwick Castle which dates from the 15th century The laden ballast trains operating during the construction of the Borders Railway ndash at 2900 tonnes lsquogross trailing loadrsquo ndash were by far the heaviest freights in Scotland at the time Photo by Bill Roberton] bull
Corridor feasibility study launched to examine Borders extension By David Spaven
14
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
Guest Article - 4709 Project Apr 2017
Outside of the rail community it is not widely known that the railway companies of the 19th and 20th Centuries made their profits not from passenger receipts but from freight revenue Coal for fuel steel for construction and food to feed the nation were all transported by rail at a time before the road infrastructure was able to offer competition
After the First World War the Government demanded fast-er transportation of perishable goods from the docks to the London markets and the Great Western Railway (GWR) Chief Mechanical Engineer GJ Churchward designed a new type of locomotive for this specific duty Using standard components Churchward produced the GWR Class 47xx 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive Only nine of this class were ever produced but they proved a highly versatile and effec-tive design which could be considered as the lsquoAlpharsquo in the rail freight traction story of which the latest locomotive de-signs perhaps the Class 68 is todayrsquos lsquoOmegarsquo
The Great Western Society (GWS) was established in 1961 and is a registered charity It exists to conserve and preserve the history and artefacts of the Great Western Railway and its successor the Western Region of British Railways It op-erates Didcot Railway Centre a former locomotive depot in Oxfordshire where many steam locomotives carriages goods wagons and small items are preserved As well as the original engine shed demonstration lines have been estab-lished on the site and railway structures including stations have been brought to Didcot from all parts of the GWR sys-tem for reconstruction
Sadly none of the 47xx locomotives survived into preser-vation and so to complete their collection the GWS is con-structing a tenth member of the class We are replicating Churchwardrsquos approach of using standard components from scrapped engines as far as possible to help recreate this extinct but historically significant locomotive type
The society is also keen to tell the lsquoStory of Freightrsquo and so will also restore a train of historic freight wagons and build a typical GWR Goods Shed to provide an interactive and educational experience for visitors at their Didcot base Our Class 47xx 4709 is being constructed to mainline standards which will allow it to travel around the national network and visit heritage railways to promote the story of rail freight whilst
providing an insight into life as a railway worker in the 1920s
An important part of the work is the preservation of craft skills and knowledge from Britainrsquos industrial past This project will contribute to this aim by providing training opportunities for apprentices where lsquohands onrsquo engineering skills are needed for locomotive construction wagon restorations and Goods Shed building
Locomotive construction is underway at the Llangollen Rail-way where considerable expertise and experience exists for such projects and where an excellent apprenticeship scheme is now established
We are always happy to arrange works visits to inspect pro-gress and our website provides a complete history photo-graphs and additional technical information of our work
Funding to date has mainly been provided by individual do-nations and this controls the rate of progress We have a small but strong engineering team which now seeks sup-port in the fields of marketing fund raising and sponsorship Without doubt such projects are all about the money We have achieved a great deal in a short time and at least cost We are keen to accelerate the project and would welcome help and support
The 4709 locomotive project is unique amongst the wide range of exciting new build and restoration projects under-way at the present time At its core is the reconstruction of the UKrsquos first high speed freight locomotive and the opportu-nity to highlight the major contribution that high speed freight has made to the UKrsquos economy and way of life over the last century
We hope that No4709 will be a flagship locomotive and a valuable centrepiece in telling the story of freight to help pro-mote the rail freight industry of today and into the future The team is looking forward to forging new contacts within the Rail Freight Group and working with its members to help us complete the project and show future generations how our industry is still lsquocoming up with the goodsrsquo bull
For all enquiries please contactPaul Carpenter at pcarpenter100btinternetcom or go towww4709orguk
Coming up with the goods - The story of freightBy Paul Carpenter 4709 Project Engineer Manager Great Western Society Didcot
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
RFG SPONSOR PARTNERS 2017The Rail Freight Group (RFG) would like to thank each of its Sponsor Partners for 2017 These companies come from within the
core RFG membership and have chosen to provide additional support for the grouprsquos activities and events throughout the year Together they represent a wide range of key stakeholders and RFG would like to sincerely thank all of them for their commitment to the group and
ongoing support to the UK rail freight sector
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
Planning update By Elizabeth Dunn Partner and Stephen Humphreys Solicitor Burges Salmon
As part of this monthrsquos infrastructure and planning update we look at the recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which challenged the refusal of consent for the Colnbrook Strategic Rail Freight Interchange providing a clear reminder of the strength of Green Belt protection We also look at impending changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment regime which all developers should be aware of
Goodman Logistics Developments (UK) Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Another
The recent High Court case of Goodman Logistics which concerned refusal of consent for the Colnbrook SRFI is a reminder of the strong protection afforded to the Green Belt in both national and local policy
The Colnbrook planning application was submitted in 2010 to Slough Borough Council (SBC) and following refusal by SBC was appealed and listed for a public inquiry However as the Radlett Aerodrome SRFI inquiry was due to be considered around the same time the Secretary of State was concerned that Radlett could have significant implications on the Colnbrook inquiry As such he decided to postpone the Colnbrook inquiry
Following the issue of the consent for Radlett the appeal process for Colnbrook resumed to inquiry in 2015 As an appeal recovered by the Secretary of State (SoS) refusal of the appeal was first recommended by his appointed planning inspector Aside from some minor differences the SoS followed his inspectorrsquos recommendation to refuse consent Goodman issued a statutory challenge to the SoSrsquos decision raising three grounds of challenge (two of which are dealt with below)
The site is under the 60 hectare threshold to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and was therefore determined through the TCPA regime As part of the inquiry it was agreed that significant weight should be given to the detail within the National Policy Statement National Networks (NPS) (notwithstanding the NPS being prepared for the purpose of the DCO regime)
As we have previously written the NPS does not provide any exception to Green Belt policy Nor does it afford more favourable treatment of SRFIs which through the NPS have a lsquocompelling needrsquo to be delivered It was agreed that the NPS shows clear Government policy favouring a network of SRFIs The NPS does not provide granularity or specific site preference (as other NPSs do for example the NPS for nuclear development) preferring sites to be delivered through private sector promotion
The Green Belt policy test found in the National Planning Policy Framework and often emphasised in local planning policy is stringent It requires an applicant to show lsquovery special circumstancesrsquo to outweigh Green Belt protection The Green Belt concerned in Colnbrook is the Green Belt (and locally protected Strategic Gap) between Slough and
West London Goodman suggested that as part of the delivery of Colnbrook there was an inevitability that a Green Belt location is essential to meet the need specified in the NPS due mainly to the absence of appropriate SRFI sites in London and the South East This argument was rejected by the Court predominantly on the basis that there is no exception in the NPS or NPPF policy supporting an lsquoinevitabilityrsquo argument which diverges from Green Belt protection
It was conceded in proceedings that the SoS (and his inspector in her decision letter) had made an error of law as they failed to take into account visual impact as a factor reducing harm on the openness of the Green Belt However notwithstanding this legal error the Court refused to quash the SoSrsquos decision as it considered that had the SoS applied the correct legal test he would have come to the same conclusion and consider that the harm to the Green Belt outweighed the benefits of the scheme
This decision demonstrates the difficulty with site selection especially when there is a need for SFRIs to be located in areas with good interconnectivity and near to conurbations (often on the edge of large cities) Given that the NPS recognises that selection in London and the South East is limited with sites being small scale and poorly located the decision demonstrates the Governmentrsquos real reluctance to interfere with Green Belt policy when it comes to determining SRFIs and the difficulties facing a developer trying to overcome harm caused to the Green Belt
New Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations New EIA Regulations are due to come into force on 16 May 2017 which will impact both EIA development under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) and the Planning Act 2008 Both the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which apply in England only) and the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (which extend to Wales and Scotland) will be introduced The purpose of these Regulations is to transpose the 2014 amended Environmental Impact Assessment Directive into UK Law
While there has been a lot of speculation about how extensive the amendments would be the government took the decision to adopt the minimal changes necessary in order to conform to the Directive Nevertheless these new requirements stipulate additional information in most instances and all developers especially those looking to develop sensitive rail or Strategic Rail Freight Interchange projects should be aware of them The key changes to be aware of are
Screening proceduresThe list of information to be submitted with a screening request is mandatory in the new Regulations and more detailed Additional information to be submitted includes a description of the followingbull the physical characteristics of the development and any demolition worksbull the location of the development and environmental sensitivity of the affected areas andbull the environmental aspects which are likely to be affected by the development and where available those resulting from expected residues emissions and the production of waste and the use of natural resources
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
Planning update - Burges Salmon Apr 2017
17
The existing three week time frame for receiving a screening opinion will remain but will be subject to a 90 day limit for an extension of time to be agreed in writing between the parties
Binding scoping opinionsAt present it is good practice for an Environmental Statement to comply with a scoping opinion Under the new Regulations the Environmental Statement must be based on the scoping opinion where one has been requested (as they do remain voluntary)
Environmental factorsThe list of environmental factors to be considered as part of the EIA process has changed ndash ldquohuman beingrdquo has been replaced by population and human health ldquofauna and florardquo has been replaced by biodiversity There is also a new requirement to consider the effects on the environment arising from the vulnerability of the development to the risks of major accidents and disasters as well as impacts from waste or use of natural resources impacts on and resilience to climate change and impacts on cultural heritage and landscape
How assessments of vulnerability to risks of major accidents and disasters will be assessed remains to be seen Often other licensing regimes cover the requirements to ensure that emergency procedures and accidental risks are covered though it is likely that detailed assessment of these risks will be required through the planning process
Consultation timeframesThe current minimum timeframe for public consultation is 21 days for TCPA projects and 28 days for Development Consent Order projects This will increase to a period of ldquono shorter than 30 daysrdquo for both new applications and the submission of further or additional environmental information (ie furtheradditional environmental information submitted voluntarily by the applicant or requested by the Local Planning Authority or Secretary of State)
Coordinated proceduresThere is a new requirement for the consenting authority to
ensure that a coordinated approach is taken for EIA projects that are also subject to assessment under the Habitats Directive
Decision processThe decision maker must be satisfied that the Environmental Statement is up to date before determining the application And a new article sets out the content of decision notices including consideration of whether monitoring measures are required
What happens to existing EIA applications in the systemThe existing Regulations will be revoked from 16 May 2017 subject to the following instances where they will continue to applybull Where an Environmental Statement has been submitted or a scoping opinion has been requested before 16 May 2017bull Parts 1 and 2 apply to requests for screening opinions and directions screening opinions adopted by the planning authority or made by the Secretary of State where the request was made or the opinions or directions were made before 16 May 2017
Developers should therefore consider whether there is any advantage in submitting scoping requests before 16 May 2017 in order to operate under the existing Regulations bull
Contact Elizabeth Dunn Partner elizabethdunnburges-salmoncom
Stephen Humphreys Associatestephenhumphreysburges-salmoncomwwwburges-salmoncom
DB Cargo and Outokumpu celebrate 40 years together DB Cargo UK and Outokumpu are celebrating working 40 years together after a contract renew-al sealed their ongoing partner-ship Three to four services will run each week from Sheffield to Immingham and one a week to Liverpool for the contract with each train carrying around 1300 tonnes of Stainless Steel
The steel arriving at Immingham will be carried by ship to Gothenburg in Sweden where it will then be moved
by rail to Avesta and Degerfors in Sweden Steel transported to the Port of Liverpool will be exported to the American markets
DB Cargo UK first began moving Stainless Steel on behalf of Outokum-pu in 1977 when the melting shop in Sheffield was first built bull
DRS Charity open Day 2017The annual Direct Rail Services (DRS) Charity Open Day will take place at its Kingmoor depot in Carl-isle on Saturday 22 July
Bring the family along for a fun day out as it invites you to have a look be-
hind the scenes There will be some-thing for everyone including a range of locomotives on show including the new Class 88 and the friendly DRS staff will be on hand providing tech-nical information Industry experts will once again be advising you how to stay safe and there will be plenty of exhibitors selling railway memorabilia galore
Tickets are available on the DRS Shop website or you can pay at the gate Entry pound500 (Under 16rsquos FREE - must be accompanied by an adult at all times)
If you would like to exhibit at the open day or would like to request disabled parking (space limited) please email communicationsdrslcouk bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
18
More criticism of railway infrastructure costs and project management are the main headlines arising currently in Parliament ahead of the snap General Election which causes a lsquodouble purdahrsquo - there is one in force already for the May 4th local authority elections and this will be extended until after the 8th June national election
A lot has already been said about Network Railrsquos poor control of Greater Western electrification design planning and cost-estimating The latest criticism has come from the House of Commonsrsquo Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its 3rd March report which it headlined as ldquoFailings on Great Western upgrade raise concerns over future rail projectsrdquo Wersquoll keep to the headlines here as most details have been covered previously
Link to the report are belowbull report summarybull report conclusions and recommendationsbull full report Modernising the Great Western Railway
Concerns over management of future rail projectsThe biggest emerging concerns raised by the PAC are the implications for other electrification projects including the planned electrification schemes on Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes The PAC warns that the significant flaws identified in the GW project raise concerns about the ability of the Department for Transport as well as Network Rail to manage similar projects in future
The Committee makes a series of recommendations to Government intended to safeguard taxpayersrsquo money and support the timely delivery of passenger benefits on future rail schemes The estimated cost of the Great Western Main Line electrification programme rose by pound12 billion in the space of a yearmdashan increase described as ldquostaggering and unacceptablerdquo by the Committee ldquoIt is still unclear whether the Great Western electrification project can be delivered to the revised target of December 2018 and budget of pound28 billionrdquo
The PAC is emphatic that NR must ensurebull ldquoAll risks to the project are identified monitored and controlledrdquobull ldquoRobust and detailed plans are in place for infrastructure projects before starting constructionrdquo
Recommendations involving the DfT state thatbull ldquoThe Department and Network Rail must plan major developments to rail services in a way which brings together trains infrastructure work and the operation of services obtaining independent assurance on their plansrdquobull ldquoThe Department should also reassess the case for electrification section-by-section and fund schemes lsquoonly where worthwhile benefits for passengers could not be achieved otherwise at lower costrsquo ldquo
PAC Chairrsquos commentsMeg Hillier MP Chair of the PAC commented that ldquothe Department should urgently review its plans for electrificationmdashnot just on the different sections of the Great Western route but also on the Midland Main Line and TransPennine routes Electrification was heralded with the promise of benefits to
passengers but the Government has a duty to determine if in fact these benefits can be delivered in a more timely and cost-effective wayrdquo
The PAC highlights that even if the DfT is right that many benefits of electrification can be obtained without electrifying a whole route it raises questions about whether full electrification is the most appropriate way to achieve benefits for passengers and value for money for taxpayers In the PACrsquos view this cannot detract from the pound330m additional costs that the delays to electrification will incur Observers consider that the current commentary potentially signals the end of the current intention for widescale electrification if options such as bi-mode or battery-powered trains are available lsquooff balance sheetrsquo
HS2 updateThe main parliamentary headlines have been the quizzing on 19th April of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling MP and HS2 Chairman Sir David Higgins about procurement and award issues arising with the design partner contract for HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester amp the North West and Birmingham Interchange to Leeds) There are also emerging concerns about total project costs and other project risks but progress with Phase 1 project delivery elements including trains and preliminary station designs
The withdrawal of engineering company CH2M from the Phase 2b design partnership following the potential conflict of interest within the duration of the tendering process of one individual who had previously been in a senior role at HS2 Ltd was the subject of a on-off session of the House of Commonsrsquo Transport Committee The contractual process for tendering was a standard Government requirement that bidders should bar from their tendering teams people who might be in position to apply previously confidential information to advantage their bid [This does not bar such people from working on an awarded contract which has been won fairly ndash it is the tendering team involvement which matters]
HS2 had been ready to pull the CH2M preferred award once the risk was known but CH2M acted first The remedy for future tendering now adopted by HS2 Ltd ndash which could have wider repercussions in the construction world ndash was that in future bidders would additionally ldquoneed to disclose to HS2 who they intend to use on the tenderingrdquo HS2 Ltd will have more chance to scrutinise the conflict risks themselves
Sir David Higgins commented ldquoIt is something we will tighten in our tendering process but that tendering process is standard practice It is used on every major engineering and civil contract in the country to date I have to say with the publicity that surrounds this that there will not be a contractor or an engineering firm in the UK that will not be very focused on the issue of declaring conflicts of interestrdquo
Other topics have also arisen with HS2bull The 19th April inquiry revealed (Question 3) that HS2 intends a Phase 2b Hybrid Bill to be submitted to Parliament in 2frac12 years time - ie Autumn 2019 This is what the design partnership tender now being awarded to Bechtel is intended to work up in detail
Continued over the page
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Slimmed-down electrification and HS2By Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
19
bull Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on 19th April that ldquoThe House authorities are currently doing a review of the hybrid Bill procedure to try to simplify it It is something I support and something I was involved in when I was Leader of the House It is certainly the case that the hybrid Bill process is too convoluted and extendedhellip I hope and expect as a result of the work that is being done on this that by the time we come to future hybrid Bills and particularly 2b we will have a simplified process I do not think it is a question of having a queue At the moment we do not sit here with an expectation that HS2 2b is going to start and then several years down the track Crossrail 2 is going to start We are working hard to develop those projects and I hope we will have a streamlined and simplified parliamentary process that enables us to get the infrastructure projects we need into the systemrdquo
bull An OJEU tender notice was issued on 20th April for the lsquopound275 billion 60-trainrsquo HS2 phase one rolling stock procurement HS2 intends ldquoa single fleet of rolling stock that will be capable of operating on HS2 Network and the Conventional Rail Network (CRN) referred to as the lsquoConventional Compatiblersquo or lsquoCCrsquo fleetrdquo Initial specifications are shown in a Pre-Qualification Technical Summary Level boarding between the new trains and conventional UK platform heights is not planned
bull HS2 Phase 1 costs are reportedly around pound48 billion according to Lord Berkeley based on detailed research by eminent QS Michael Byng He has costed information supplied by HS2 Ltd and the DfT The Treasury-set limit for all Phases is pound557bn so it is argued that there is a risk of much higher total costs arising Lord Berkeley says that there ldquoneeds to be an urgent and independent audit of scope of project and costs before any more major expenditure is committedrdquo
bull There are pre-General Election press reports of differing government positions on HS2 The Sunday Express on 23rd April reported that George Freeman MP ldquothe Prime Ministerrsquos policy chief who is helping to draw up the partyrsquos manifesto told a group of Tory MPs on Wednesday that cancelling HS2 is up for consideration The MPs led by Andrew Bridgen and Cheryl Gillan had argued that the task of dealing with Brexit meant the bill needed to approve the second phase of the scheme between Birmingham and Crewe would be delayed - adding at least an extra pound10 billion to the projectrsquos ballooning budgetrdquo Mr Bridgen said ldquoI had a meeting in Parliament with George Freeman to discuss the manifesto He agreed that cancelling HS2 would be included for considerationrdquo
bull However the Yorkshire Post on Monday 24th April reported that Transport Minister Andrew Jones ldquopromised there would be no back-tracking on the Conservativesrsquo commitment to delivering HS2 when the party publishes its manifestordquo bull
Westminster Update - JR Consulting Apr 2017
Contact Jonathan Roberts MD JR Consulting07545 641 204jrjrcorgukwwwjrcorguk
New railway association launched to act for private rail companies in EuropeA new European rail association has been officially launched to act on behalf of private railway companies ALLRAIL the Alliance for Rail New Entrants brings to-gether non-incumbent rail companies from the freight and passenger rail markets
It was formed publicly launched on 20 April and was founded by ERFA the current home of 30 private and independent rail freight companies together with the biggest players in Europersquos non-incumbent passenger rail market today LEO Express MTR Nordic NTV Regiojet Trainline and WEST-bahn
A joint letter from Erich Forster ALLRAIL President and Vice President Tony Berkeley stated ldquoOur association forges a strong alliance between private freight and passenger com-panies who are committed to advancing the European Com-missionacutes vision for a single European railway market We want to invest in rail setting up new routes and new types of services attracting more and new customers to choose rail as a transport mode We believe that fair competition and open markets are the only way to successfully shift freight and passenger from road to rail and to win over new customersrdquo
ldquoOur aim is to secure affordable and attractive freight and passenger rail traffic and to promote the advantages of ourenvironmentally friendly rail sector We support all initiatives for an attractive and future oriented legislation and regula-tionrdquo Current issues the association will be addressing include the implementation of the 4th Railway Packagersquos market open-ing agenda an open data approach to rail also on ticketing non-discriminatory financing and access to rail rolling stock competitive track access charges and non-discriminatory ac-cess to all rail facilities
It went on to add ldquoAs independent future oriented fast and efficient regulatory decisions are key for a rail market opening we work constructively and closely with national rail regulatory bodies to ensure effective action in favour of rail competition and non-discriminatory market conditions We are only too aware of the huge disparities between national rail regulators and are keen to work with the EU Commission and MEPs to develop an information system highlighting from the point of view of rail companies the importance of effective and speedy decisions by regulatory bodiesrdquo
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
News in brief bull A broad alliance of organ-isations from the Pro-Rail Alliance BUND (Friends of the Earth) and the DUH (German environmental organisation) are taking le-gal action to prevent longer heavy goods vehicles from operating freely on German roads The Federal Trans-port Ministryrsquos general ap-proval for the longer trucks which can measure over 25 metres came into effect on 1 January
bull HSL Logistik has been banned from operating freight services in The Netherlands Its Dutch safety certificate has been withdrawn by the national transport safety body It is the first time such a meas-ure has been taken in The Netherlands against a rail freight operator
bull The Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is launching a new rail freight service trans-porting wooden houses ndash or more specifically the wooden panels they com-prise ndash between Austria Sweden and Norway The agreement with Stora Enso one of Scandinaviarsquos big-gest renewable materials providers cements RCGrsquos position as central Europersquos largest timber transporter
bull SNCF Logistics has forged an alliance with multimodal tracking specialist Traxens to create the so-called digital freight train SNCF says the new partnership follows a year of research and testing to develop the lsquoconnected containerrsquo which provides key real-time information such as the location of wag-ons and temperature of the containers
European News Apr 2017
Contact the RFG Team Tony Berkeley Chairman 07710 431 542Maggie Simpson Executive Director 07737 007 957Phillippa OrsquoShea Administration Manager 07931 763 081 James Falkner Media Officer 07753 271 110Robin Smith Welsh Representative 07968 488 905 David Spaven Scottish Representative 07917 877 399Mike Hogg North of England Representative 07833 402 804Yvonne Mulder Project Manager 07887 767 666
RFG News is published by the Rail Freight Group 7 Bury Place London WC1A Tel 020 3116 0007 Fax 020 3116 0008 wwwrfgorguk RFG welcomes comments letters and short articles Opinions expressed in these articles are of the author only RFG News is published primarily for online distribution but we will continue to send hard copies to those readers who request them
B Logistics becomes LineasBelgiumrsquos B Logistics has transformed itself to become one of the largest pri-vate rail operators in Europe now with the new brand of Lineas
The company said it has managed to turn a virtually bankrupt department into a finan-cially sound private growth company over eight years in the midst of an economic cri-sis In 2016 Lineas improved its financial result for the 7th year in a row (EBITDA of euro27m compared with euro15m in 2015)
Geert Pauwels CEO of Lineas ldquoWe are changing name because we have changed identity as a company After years of re-structuring we have become one of the biggest and most dynamic private rail oper-ators in Europe Our ambition is clear get trucks off the road and shift those volumes to rail We have developed a pioneering rail product based on the needs of our custom-ers We are expanding this Green Xpress Network rapidly throughout Europe I am extremely proud that our organisation which achieved the impossible in recent years is tackling our new ambitious challenge with the same passion and motivation We want to make a difference and offer rail a future againrdquo bull
Next generation rail freight unveiledTransport researchers at the German Aer-ospace Center have developed a next-gen-eration concept that they say will make rail freight more appealing to businesses across Europe The NGT CARGO includes a high level of automation intelligent handling and high speeds
Focusing on revolutionising single-wagon loads
and smaller consignments the automatically driven NGT CARGO trains will be made up of single wagons and powerful end cars automat-ically coupled together as required
It said that to make single-wagon transport fit for the future intelligent freight wagons in the NGT CARGO concept have a separate drive based on electric motors and a battery that stores en-ergy recovered during braking This makes it possible for the single wagons to shunt autono-mously without the need for shunting staff and shunting locomotives or overhead lines bull
![[RFG]] Österreichischer Gemeindebund...Schriftenreihe Rechts- und Finanzierungspraxis der Gemeinden 4 4b / 2006 [RFG]] P.b.b.Verlagspostamt 1010 Wien Erscheinungsort Wien 03Z035091M](https://img.dokumen.tips/doc/110x75/5f377efeb6d95c51ee5560ee/rfg-sterreichischer-gemeindebund-schriftenreihe-rechts-und-finanzierungspraxis.jpg)
