Railfreight
down
++


The
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
has
reported
that
freight
volumes
fell
between
1
July
and
30
September.
The
regulator
said
the
drop
had
been
caused
by
strikes.
Total
freight
moved
was
four
billion
net
tonne
kilometres,
which
was
6.4
per
cent
lower
than
in
the
same
three
months
a
year
earlier.
The
chief
executive
of
the
industry
lobby
group
Rail
Partners,
Andy
Bagnall,
has
warned
that
the
decline
underlines
the
‘negative
impact
industrial
action
is
having
on
rail
freight
demand,
despite
not
directly
involving
the
freight
companies’.
He
continued:
‘Some
customers
are
already
losing
confidence
due
to
the
disruption
and
switching
from
rail
to
road.
There
is
a
very
real
risk
that
if
resolution
is
not
achieved
quickly,
more
customers
will
choose
less
environmentally
sustainable
modes
in
the
long
term.
This
not
only
puts
the
potential
growth
of
the
sector
at
risk,
but
it
also
undermines
the
ability
of
rail
freight
to
contribute
to
wider
economic
growth
and
support
the
achievement
of
net
zero
targets.’

Radio
row
++


Train
services
are
badly
disrupted
again
today
by
the
first
48-hour
RMT
strike
of
train
operating
and
Network
Rail
staff
this
week.
Many
lines
are
closed
for
a
second
day,
and
another
strike
is
set
to
be
staged
on
Friday
and
Saturday
in
the
continuing
dispute
over
pay
and
conditions.
Meanwhile,
RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
has
accused
the
BBC
of
‘parroting’
the
right-wing
press.
In
a
heated
exchange
with
Today
programme
presenter
Mishal
Husain,
Mr
Lynch
said:
‘You
never
show
any
admiration
for
the
fight
that
working
people
are
putting
up
for
our
country,
for
the
rebalancing
of
society.
You
never
criticise
the
super-rich
for
what
they’re
doing
to
nurses,
what
they’re
doing
to
postal
workers,
and
you
never
seem
to
take
an
impartial
view
on
the
way
this
society
is
balanced
at
the
moment
with
the
complete
lack
of
distribution
of
wealth.’ The
BBC
has
declined
to
comment.