Weighting for a train
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• Just 400 of freight currently moved by rail would go by road if all hauliers were allowed to operate at 44 tonnes, claims a new report.
The National Economic Research Associates' report says a move to introduce 44 tonnes would lower road haulage costs, "reducing rail freight's potential".
But it goes onto say that less than 4%, or half a billion tonnesikm of freight, would return to road if a general 44 tonne weight limit were introduced—dispelling the myth that such a limit would see a massive return of freight to road.
Rail freight has already declined from 15.2bn tonne/km in 1991-92 to 13.1bn tonneikm. It accounts for only 7% of all freight movements in Britain.
The report says continued increases in fuel duty, along with worsening road congestion, could reverse this longterm trend. Rail freight movements could jump by nearly 40% by 2005 if privatised rail companies cut costs and improve services, it says.
El See feature, page 44.