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Railhub Archive
1997-10-09 RTK-002
Railtrack plc0
Railtrack welcomes regulator’s support for freight
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  Railtrack welcomes regulator’s support for freight
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type Press release
note ORR/97/27
Railtrack today welcomed the commitment by the Rail Regulator to champion the development of rail freight in Britain.
Figures for the first half of the current financial year show rail freight traffic, excluding coal, increased by four per cent while Railtrack reduced its costs by three per cent, passing the benefits on to the customers.
Intermodal and international traffic increased by 14 per cent compared with the same period last year. This follows the publication in April this year of Railtrack’s 10-point plan for freight, detailing the company’s strategy to improve its ability to handle freight traffic, cut operating costs and provide vital information to freight operators, together with targets for the development of open access.
Performance against the targets set in the strategy will be carefully monitored and circulated to the industry, including the Regulator.
Railtrack’s Head of Freight Robin Gisby said: "We welcome the Regulator’s support for our strategy which is resulting in a rail freight market which is now growing after years of decline. Railtrack will continue to work with its customers to offer a faster, more reliable and cheaper service than road."
The company has also published a Code of Practice, setting out key commitments to invest in the network to meet its customers’ needs and aspirations and improve the reliability of rail freight.
In the last few months freight businesses have also seen a co-ordinated approach by Railtrack and its customers, resulting in :
o over 100 developments of freight depots with new locations opening and old facilities reopening at the rate of more than 20 per year;
o the commitment by freight operator English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS) of over £500 million in investment programmes;
o milk traffic returning to the network after over 20 years, major supermarket groups running trial services and road hauliers looking to put traffic on the railway and
o the port of Felixstowe sending record volumes of containers by rail and 100 per cent on time delivery for rail operator Freightliner.
Railhub Archive ::: 1997-10-09 RTK-002
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