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FROM RAIL: A GROWING THREAT
• Rail looks set to take an increasing share of the new car delivery market, even though growth has been undermined by problems surrounding the Channel Tunnel since last year.
Robin Dickeson, CV development manager of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, says: "If you have got a plant in France OP Germany it really does appear to make sense to send your cars to the UK by rail."
This year both Jaguar and Land Rover have revealed plans for switching exports from road to rail. Jaguar is due to open a .£.10nri rail freight terminal at its Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham early next year, removing an estimated 338,000 lorry movements from UK roads over 10 years. The work is currently handled by Autologic subsidiary Axial.
Last month (July) Land Rover resurrected a plan for al".40m rail link to its plant at Solihull, mainly to carry vehicles destined for export.
The company, which shelved the idea after being taken over by Ford In 2000, says the link would save more than 120,000 lorry movements a year. Deliveries are currently handled by Exel.
The government's Strategic Rail Authority has already agreed 1.25m worth of support but planning approval is unlikely to be granted before the end of next year Market leader Ford says about 75% of its UK imports—mainly cars—are handled by road, with the rest split about equally between rail and sea. Some 85% of Ford's UK exports—mainly car parts—go by road; once again the remainder is split between rail and sea.