Freight News, Rail

Think before you electrify, says GBRf boss

[ December 2, 2014   //   Chris ]

GB Railfreight managing director, John Smith, called for “intelligent electrification” at a Transport Select Committee’s session on 1 December. Whilst recognising that parts of the Government’s ‘electric spine’ scheme to create an electrified route from the south coast to the north of England, are good for rail freight, he called for the prioritisation of certain corridors – such as Birmingham-Nuneaton – in order to encourage the industry to invest in electric locomotives.
He said: “At the moment, the majority of electrification schemes in the UK support the passenger network. With freight, there are certain markets that suit electric haulage, such as intermodal, but there is a need to prioritise electrifying the routes that serve them. Intelligent electrification is important if the Government is to encourage the modal freight shift from road to rail.”

Tags: GBRf