Rail
freight


has
been
given
a
boost
with
the
scrapping
of
track
access
charges
for
the
first
six
months
of
a
new
flow.
Network
Rail
said
the
cost
of
TACs
is
about
£1000
for
each
round
trip,
depending
on
the
motive
power,
length
and
weight
of
the
train.

As
Network
Rail
is
state-owned,
the
concession
amounts
to
a
government
subsidy
of
rail
freight,
although
two
grants
were
already
available.
These
are
the
Mode
Shift
Revenue
Support
scheme
and
Freight
Facilities
Grants.

The
Modal
Scheme
evens
out
the
cost
of
moving
freight
by
road
or
rail,
and
the
Department
for
Transport
estimates
that
it
removes
900,000
heavy
lorry
movements
from
the
roads
each
year.

Freight
Facilities
Grants
only
exist
in
Scotland
and
Wales,
and
help
with
the
costs
of
rail
freight
terminals.

The
600
freight
trains
which
run
on
an
average
day
save
more
than
a
million
tonnes
of
carbon
emissions
a
year,
and
ambitious
targets
have
been
set
by
the
governments
in
London
and
Edinburgh
encourage
the
sector
to
grow.

Network
Rail
says
the
reason
for
scrapping
track
access
charges
until
a
new
flow
can
become
established
is
its
commitment
to
support
the
growth
of
rail
freight.

Rail
minister
Lord
Hendy
said:
‘The
rail
freight
sector
plays
a
crucial
role
in
keeping
the
country
moving,
providing
a
faster,
greener
and
more
efficient
way
of
transporting
goods.
The
Government’s
policy
is
to
promote
and
grow
the
use
of
freight
services
across
the
country
and
make
moving
goods
by
rail
the
obvious
choice
for
businesses,
and
this
initiative
will
do
just
that.’

Rail
Freight
Group
director
general
Maggie
Simpson
has
welcomed
the
new
discount.
She
continued:
‘Many
businesses
are
looking
to
move
more
freight
by
rail,
but
it
can
be
a
big
step
to
start
new
services.
This
scheme
provides
welcome
support
for
the
first
six
months
of
operation,
helping
customers
and
operators
to
open
up
new
routes.’