Freightliner utilising rail freight incentive with new Tilbury to Manchester service

This new service, transporting containers arriving from Europe, takes advantage of the Access Charge Discount scheme which was recently launched by Network Rail in order to support the launch of new services and encourage modal shift to rail.

The scheme, announced by Network Rail, offers six months of free track access charges to support the launch of new rail services, helping to drive modal shift and incentivise businesses to use rail freight.  

Tim Shoveller, CEO at Freightliner Group, commented, “We are thrilled to see this new service up and running. The Access Charge Discount scheme is an important initiative to deliver modal shift and achieve industry growth targets. We are pleased that our new daily train for P&O Ferrymasters is the first service to use the new Access Charge Discount scheme, enabling us to deliver our customers’ goods more sustainably.”

This service will reduce traffic and congestion on some of Britain’s busiest motorways and is estimated to cut carbon emissions by 76% compared to road.  

Ellis Shelton, Logistics UK's Senior Policy Advisor said: "Offering freight operators discounts on track access charges paves the way for the development of new services and the revitalisation of under-utilised lines, ensuring that the rail freight sector remains at the forefront of the nation's freight strategy.

"The launch of this service is a testament to the commitment of Freightliner and its partners to advancing intermodal transport in the UK and underscores the importance of collaboration in achieving a more sustainable logistics future." 

John Freyne, Director Intermodal at P&O Ferrymasters said, “We have successfully implemented numerous rail corridors across Europe in collaboration with our valued customers. We are pleased that the industry has worked collaboratively to make this new UK service a reality. 

"We expect the round-trip train to take around 10,000 trucks off busy UK roads annually, enabling us to remove thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions from the supply chains of our customers. Adding a UK rail service to our extensive European multimodal network has been a key goal for us, and we are delighted that the new Network Rail scheme has made this possible.”

Network Rail’s Director of Planning and Regulation, Paul McMahon, said: “Rail freight plays a crucial role in our economy, and it does so in a sustainable way. The launch of this service is a great example of how Network Rail can play a big role in growing our economy in a way that minimises our impact on the environment.”

This new Freightliner service will depart from Tilbury2, one of London’s major ports, to Manchester Trafford Park, running five days a week – it is the first service to utilise Network Rail’s new scheme.

Published On: 10/10/2024 14:00:00

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