New FTA service to promote rail freight

Thursday 17 June 2010

The Freight Transport Association is seeking to promote the use of rail freight to companies that have not previously considered it through a new service – FTA FastTrack.

To launch it this new rail freight assessment service is being offered free to companies. It will provide them with impartial advice to assess the potential benefits of rail and whether to explore the service further.

Christopher Snelling, FTA’s Head of Global Supply Chain Policy, said:

“Rail freight has a tremendous amount to offer now, but there may still be some companies that don’t explore the rail option as they assume it will not work for them, or that it will be too complicated. FTA wants to help encourage those companies to think rail by providing a very simple-to-use first step which can estimate if rail is a possibility for them and if so, where they would go from here.”

FastTrack aims to provide logistics buyers with access to a range of information on rail freight.
Through one simple form, the potential user will provide information on type of freight, number and volume of shipments and origin and destination points. FastTrack would provide an assessment of feasibility, cost and environmental benefit.

Christopher Snelling, FTA’s Head of Global Supply Chain Policy, said:

“Rail freight has the potential to really grow in the next few years, but in order for it to properly flourish we need to make it more accessible to new entrants. FastTrack will help companies to break down potential barriers to entry, enabling them to quickly come to a well-informed view on whether they can tap into the benefits of rail freight and, if so, how.

“As the UK pan-modal freight association, FTA is uniquely placed to provide an impartial assessment of the merits of rail for businesses.”

Notes for editors

FTA is currently offering FastTrack free of charge. To find out more visit: www.fta.co.uk/fasttrack

FTA’s FastTrack rail assessment service was launched today (17 June) at FTA’s Logistics Carbon Reduction Conference held in London.

FastTrack is provided in conjunction with leading transport consultancy Intermodality (www.intermodality.com).

Rail is an eminently attractive solution for retailers keen to reduce the environmental impact of their supply chain package:

rail produces less than one per cent of total CO2 emissions;

a typical freight train can remove 50 lorries from Britain’s roads;

over the last six years, rail freight is estimated to have taken two million tonnes of pollutants from our air, and;

every tonne of freight carried by rail produces at least two thirds less carbon dioxide than if moved by road.
 

FTA Press Office

01892 552255
press.office@fta.co.uk