Britain’s busiest intermodal rail terminal is partly blocked by a derailment. Felixstowe, which is also Britain’s busiest marine sea container terminal, has a substantial fraction of its rail freight facilities out of actions. An inbound intermodal train has derailed causing significant infrastructure damage. Rail freight operations at Felixstowe could be compromised for at least a…
Author: Simon Walton
Rail freight key to keep Australia’s grain market financially competitive
Bulk transport by rail is among a crop of measures from the Australian GrainGrowers, a national association reprinting the arable farming industry and its supply chain at large. Soaring costs, particularly in transportation, threaten to make home-grown grain financially unsustainable. That is a situation that GrainGrowers recognises as untenable. They seek to address it with…
“New Dawn” steam to power British freight
Steamology, a green technology start-up company in the South of England, is rolling back the wheels of time. The company is on the verge of making history by turning to the historic power source of steam. However, in an entirely futuristic way, it’s steam, Britain, but not as we know it. We always thought that…
Radlett rail freight plans near takeoff
It is probably the longest-running dispute over rail development in the UK. It certainly ranks among the most acrimonious. However, time may have been called on forty years of fighting over the future of a former airfield. A legal ruling has thrown out objections from a long-standing campaign group. A High Court judge has rejected…
Aggregate terminal to revive Scots line?
The Kincardine Railway has been dormant for more than five years. However, a proposed aggregates terminal would bring regular rail freight traffic back to this mothballed line in Scotland. The dormant railway line in Kincardine could be revived if Tillicoultry Quarries has its plans accepted. The company intends to transform the former Longannet Power Station…
Political parties weigh anchor on rail freight from Suffolk ports
Rail freight from Felixstowe may not be the defining issue of the forthcoming UK General Election. However, the broader question of rail freight development is on the agenda of all the major political parties. With less than a month until the UK goes to the polls, the level of traffic in the east of England…
Maritime Transport stacks the intermodal racks with new reachers
UK-based Maritime Transport has stepped up its game in handling integrated road and rail freight logistics. The Felixstowe-headquartered company has gone large with an order of 14 new reach stackers from manufacturers Kalmar and SANY. The 8 million euro investment will facilitate what the company identifies as the growing demand for rail freight services and…
UK rail freight volumes slightly down for the quarter
Official statistics published today (6 June) by the Office of Rail and Road show that UK rail freight took a slight dip, year on year, in the last quarter (to March 2024). Nevertheless, containers and construction traffic are still, by far, the dominant sectors. The two sectors account for around two-thirds of all freight “net…
How July’s elections shape the future of UK’s rail
A UK General Election has been called for 4 July. Most observers were taken by surprise when a rain-soaked prime minister, Sunak, told the waiting press that he had asked The King to dissolve parliament. The campaigning began immediately. Politicians have been eager to make the railways a vote winner. However, the main parties have…
New intermodal: London Gateway – Doncaster
The UK rail freight industry is never slow to promote a new service. This case is no exception. Freightliner has added a new daily intermodal working, taking containers from London to Yorkshire. The round trip connects two expanding freight terminals: London Gateway and Doncaster Railport. Freightliner, the British operator, has already stated its intent to…