Freight on Rail – On Track for Sustainability.

Thurrock is one of the most significant logistics centres in Britain. With a gateway location on the M25 as well the upgraded A13 link into Central London Thurrock has exceptional road links, whilst the Port of Tilbury and the Purfleet Thames Terminal make the Borough one of the most important water freight centres in the country. Resultantly transport and distribution is one of the top sectors in Thurrock with hauliers, warehouses and riverfront logistics employing many thousands of local people. This is reflected within the Thurrock Business Forum with these companies comprising almost one third of Forum Members.

It is for this reason that the Thurrock Business Forum is seeking to publicise the Freight on Rail group. Freight on Rail is a partnership dedicated to getting goods off the roads and onto the rail system as a key step towards developing a more sustainable distribution system. The group is committed to promoting the economic, social and environmental benefits of rail transport locally and nationally. Freight on Rail provide information and help to the industry, and lobby for policy changes to support the shift to rail.

Freight on Rail is an industry-wide partnership including Network Rail, three Trade Unions from the sector and the Rail Freight representative group as well as all the major rail freight operators. This includes Freightliner, Britain’s biggest intermodal freight transporter and a key partner of the Thurrock Business Forum operating out of the Port of Tilbury.

Although industrial rail services in Thurrock are notoriously limited by the need to share infrastructure with passenger routes, a substantial amount of freight is already transported across the Borough, lessening the burden on local roads. Furthermore the arguments in favour of additional utilisation and investment in the system are eminently convincing. Traffic congestion costs business around £20bn a year, whilst the average freight train removes approximately 50 HGV journeys from the roads. Equally, rail is estimated to be 27 times safer than roads and produces 80% less carbon dioxide per tonne carried.

Rail is therefore a beneficial alternative, but speaking to the Thurrock Business Forum Freight on Rail spokesperson Philippa Edmunds also drew attention to it’s commercial credibility: “ever increasing road congestion means that rail freight offers a viable and efficient alternative to road transport.” In particular there has been more than £1bn of private sector investment in the industry since 1995, ensuring modern systems and facilities as well as new wagons and trains. This includes 350 brand new ‘out of the box’ locomotives which are quieter and more efficient and reliable than older models.

The Thurrock Business Forum is therefore happy to endorse these aims and encourages Members to visit www.freightonrail.co.uk to learn more.