{"id":253261,"date":"2025-07-18T18:03:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T08:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=64250"},"modified":"2025-07-18T18:03:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T08:03:33","slug":"opinion-bi-mode-bi-will-freight-defiant-despite-uk-policy-drift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=253261","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: Bi-mode, bi-will \u2014 freight defiant despite UK policy drift"},"content":{"rendered":"

With electric trucks on the horizon and a pothole-patching policy filling Whitehall inboxes, rail freight might be forgiven for feeling like the poor relation. Yet the industry\u2019s appetite for investment is undiminished, writes Simon Walton, UK Editor for RailFreight.com.<\/strong>
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The picture is a yard full of locomotives gleaming in the mid-July sun, flanked by a chief executive and a lord, both of them talking freight and smiling broadly. The scene at GB Railfreight\u2019s Peterborough headquarters yesterday was crowned with a pair of brand new Class 99 bi-mode locomotives making their official unveiling – although they\u2019ve already been on a tour of the UK visiting more venues than Oasis.<\/p>\n

Uncertain signals from parliament<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a lot of optimism in a yard like this. Plenty of pride, too. There\u2019s a sense that even if the national policy isn’t quite with the programme, the industry most certainly is. Guests eagerly passed between the freshly liveried machines and the display banners. The message is clear. Rail freight is ready, willing, and investing.<\/p>\n

\"Out
Out with the old. A ’66 with an intermodal train passes the new kid on the block, 99002 at GBRf Peterborough. Image: \u00a9 Simon Walton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s a fitting atmosphere in which to contemplate a wider truth. The UK government cannot decide whether to pull the signals off or on. Its strategies seem to be stuck at a junction, unable to decide which way to switch the points. Freight operators are putting two yellows up to that prevarication, and proceeding under their own caution.<\/p>\n

Upward, not paused<\/h2>\n

All around the country, the mood music from Westminster suggests stalling rather than accelerating. The Ely upgrade<\/a> \u2013 critical to unlocking east-west freight capacity \u2013 is indefinitely delayed. Electrification of the Midland Main Line remains unfinished, and signs from Sheffield suggest no sense of urgency. Meanwhile, official government communications trumpet funding for electric vehicle charging points and ever more road improvements, like the A66 trans-Pennine dualling programme and Midlands motorway enhancements.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, hardly anyone involved in the logistics of Britain will complain about upgrading the sinuous road that connects east and west. They may even point out that the rail project, also crossing the Pennine spine of England, is already underway. They may further suggest that the East West Rail project<\/a>, between Oxford and Cambridge, is set to provide another rail route of significance for freight traffic, albeit with no wires installed.<\/p>\n

Looking on the bright side<\/h2>\n

Rail freight, in contrast, doesn\u2019t have a \u2018road to net-zero\u2019. It has a track \u2013 and it’s laying it itself. GB Railfreight is committing to a future-proofed fleet with the Class 99 \u2013 the Stadler-built bi-mode locomotive that offers zero-emission running under the wires where it can, and with high-performance diesel traction where it can\u2019t. At the same time, new rail terminals are springing up alongside distribution parks \u2013 Northampton recently took its first intermodal train, and DP World is incentivising container customers to move by rail rather than road from Southampton.<\/p>\n

\"Man
Man of the moment. GBRf CEO John Smith gets a fresh angle at the 99 launch event. Image: \u00a9 Simon Walton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI just think it\u2019s the right solution for the market,\u201d said John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight, talking about his new baby. Yes, he agreed that electricification infills like Ely and Felixstowe would render the Cummins diesel in the Class 99 less useful. \u201cI don\u2019t see electrification on the horizon, do you? For now, we can provide quicker, longer trains for customers who want to decarbonise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red signals, green ambitions<\/h2>\n

Yet this enthusiasm comes just as some markets are shrinking. Oil traffic from Lindsey and Grangemouth is winding down. Industrial output is changing, with heavy industries contracting. Despite this, the rail freight sector remains bullish.<\/p>\n