As the name implies, trains convey freight along a rail network. The services are prompt, dependable, and affordable. They emit less pollution than road services and contribute to the avoidance of traffic congestion and accidents.
Rail travel is the primary means of transit for a diverse variety of imports in the United Kingdom and across the globe. Indeed, there are no actual restrictions on the kind of items, their size, or their weights. Private operators supply these services, while Network Rail, a public sector entity managed by the UK government, owns and operates the assets (Department of Transport).
In any event, this service is ideal in certain instances since it is a happy medium between ocean and air freight: twice as quick as ocean freight and much less expensive than air freight. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like a quote for a train solution.
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How are rail freight services managed?
British Rail was privatized in the mid-1990s:
- Following Railtrack's acquisition of the track and infrastructure,
- Passenger transport operations have been delegated to private sector operators.
- while freight services have been totally privatized.
Railtrack has been rebranded Network Rail, and passenger transport operations are still controlled by a variety of Train Operating Businesses (TOCs) under franchise and with significant public subsidies, while the majority of freight operations are managed by five private sector companies. The government does not fund freight enterprises.
Who are the railway operators?
Colas Rail
Colas Rail's primary business is network rail infrastructure maintenance. Along with railway engineering, they run a successful timber service between Carlisle and Scotland and Chirk, as well as a steel coil haulage service between Immingham and Birmingham's Heartlands Park. Colas Rail's freight sector is establishing itself as a strong rival to established operators. It is owned by Bouygues, a French construction and services firm.
DB Cargo United Kingdom
DB Cargo UK offers intermodal, bulk, and logistics services both inside the UK and via the Channel Tunnel to continental Europe. Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway company, owns DB Cargo (DB).
Rail Services Direct
Direct Rail Services (DRS) was created in 1995 to offer transportation services to the nuclear industry. Since then, the company has expanded to become the market leader in domestic intermodal services (i.e. terminal to terminal). It is wholly owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Freightliner
Freightliner is the biggest intermodal (containerized) rail operator in the United Kingdom. Additionally, it has a bulk subsidiary named Freightliner Heavy Haul and offers specialized intermodal logistics services via Logico. Moreover, it operates in Australia and Continental Europe and is controlled by Genesee & Wyoming Inc., a United States-based rail firm.
GB RailFreight
GB Railfreight (GBRf) began operations in 1999 and provides a range of services to a number of sectors, including intermodal and bulk transportation, as well as facility maintenance. It is owned by EQT Infrastructure through Hector Rail Group.
DocShipper
As an international freight forwarder, DocShipper is also one of the players capable of providing rail transport solutions across the UK. It is also a solution that we mainly use to connect Asian countries (especially China) with Europe (and therefore the United Kingdom). Need a price? Do not hesitate to contact us !
Who uses rail freight?
Rail freight services are used by a wide variety of customers to transport a wide variety of goods. Here are some examples:
- Shipping companies and freight forwarders (like DocShipper): they provide door-to-door services to shippers. Therefore, they use rail or road carriers to transport sea containers from ports to distribution centers, production sites, etc.
- Power generation companies: Power plants use rail freight to bring in coal or biomass (since 2010), which they then burn to power electricity generators. Most coal is transported through ports, but in the past most coal was transported from mines across the UK.
- Oil and gas companies: Oil products are transported in specialized tanks between ports, refineries and end customers.
- Automobile manufacturers: They use rail to move finished vehicles both locally and to / from terminals for export / import. They also use the rail to bring in manufacturing materials as well as spare parts for the aftermarket.
- Construction industry: Trains transport sand, gravel, cement, lumber, and other materials used in the construction of everything from housing to highways and industries, as well as major projects such as the Olympic Games in London 2012 and Crossrail.
- Steel: Coils of steel and other types of steel are transported by rail to and from steel plants, industrial plants and ports by industries, including the automotive industry.
- Residential and commercial garbage: These are transported from transfer stations to landfills.
- Retailers: Department stores and other retailers use rail to transport imported goods from ports to their inland distribution centers.
Why use rail freight?
Rail freight offers several business advantages to its customers, including reliability, speed and cost efficiency. It is also helping society as a whole by reducing harmful pollutants and traffic congestion, creating high-quality jobs and helping various parts of the UK to prosper.
Dependability and rapidity
Rail freight operators attain a dependability rate of 97 percent for their high-end services to merchants, and rail freight in general may equal or surpass the accuracy of road freight. As operators invest in new locomotives and carriages, freight trains continue to go faster and carry heavier loads.
Profitability
Rail freight businesses continue to invest while simultaneously reducing consumer expenditure. They have boosted the weights they can transport, for example, boosting capacity per train by 80 percent during the preceding decade.
Environmental advantages
Rail freight reduces CO2 emissions by up to 76 percent when compared to vehicle freight. This contributes to mitigating the global warming effect of transportation emissions.
Improved air quality
Rail travel creates up to ten times less fine particles and up to fifteen times fewer nitrogen oxides than vehicle transport for the same tonnage moved. It benefits the country's health, particularly the health of children.
Congestion reduction and greater safety
Each freight train eliminates up to 76 cars off the road, resulting in an annual reduction of 1.6 billion HGV kilometers driven.
Passengers adhere to their schedules
Rail Freight delivers specialist services to maintain pace with replacement and restoration workers, lowering costs and minimizing rail network disturbance.
The growth of regional economies is supported
Over 80% of freight forwarding businesses' 5,000 employees work outside of South East England. Rail freight is also critical for the economic growth of the country's ports, power plants, industrial facilities, and retail hubs.
Rail freight Asia - United Kingdom
