The Anonymous Widower

Where Are All The Containers Going?

On the North London line of the Overground, every so often a freight train comes through taking full boxes from the East Coast ports to the West Coast Main Line or empty boxes back again. Some may also be flows between Southampton and the East.

A few years ago rail freight was almost dead, but it has bounced back with a vengeance, despite the recession. It was always felt that rail freight traffic  was strongly linked to GDP, but it appears the link is now broken and the figures show it. In the last five years, total freight has dropped by 10% and truck hauled traffic has dropped by 13%. So how many truck drivers have been made redundant? But in the same period rail-freight has risen by 2%.  The number of containers handled at the ports in 2010 was the same as in 2005, but those that were handled by rail has risen by 29%. In the future, rail freight-traffic is expected to double between 2010 and 2030.

The reason for the growth is obviously cost and even a long train of 30 containers or so is more cost effective than 30 trucks.

But also various improvements to the rail network have been added to speed the traffic on its way. I reported on one here. There are more improvements in the pipeline too.

Some trains too, are now running through the Channel Tunnel, as far as Wroclaw in Poland.

So we’ll be seeing lots more freight trains on the rail network in the UK.

And this will mean less CO2 emissions, especially where the trains are hauled by electric locomotives.

It will also remove a lot of trucks from the major roads in the UK.  Every time I travel on the A14, I seem to think that there are less trucks.

I also come to the conclusion, that we may be seeing a few green shoots of recovery.

March 2, 2012 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Freight, London Overground, North London Line, Trains