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?

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Rail freight Asia - United Kingdom

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