Rail giant to run truck fleet?
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Leading rail-freight operator EWS hasn't ruled out dipping its toe into
haulage. Chris Tindall reports.
EXCLUSIVE
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of rail-freight operator EWS says he will be forced to run a fleet of trucks if he cannot find an operator able to run an efficient service.
"Well put in place the products our customers want us to provide." Keith Heller explains. "I'm not keen to run a set of trucks.But if we can't find a partner to deliver the services we need reliably. I'll run my own trucks. We have loads of experience of how to run an efficient intermodal operation.
Heller adds that proposed trials for 25.25m trucks have "no value" and will establish nothing the industry doesn't already know: "You can come to a view without a trialthere's enough data around.
"If you do the studies and they say it's the right decision, fine. The statistics should be there to see if it's a good idea in the first place, and I don't see the studies being done." Heller wants the government to carry out a cost evaluation on 35tonne axle loads on trains, up from the existing limit of 25 tonnes.
Last week the Department tor Transport told CM to expect Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman to make an announcement on trials of 25.25m trucks by Christmas.
• CM's interview with Keith Heller will be published soon.
christophentindall@rbi.co.uk