9 Freight
139. Freight services operate throughout Great Britain,
carrying products as diverse as cars, chemicals, consumer goods,
steel, railway engineering supplies, coal, aggregates, and timber.
Some freight train operating companies including English, Welsh
and Scottish Railway Ltd (EWS), the largest British rail freight
company, petitioned against the Crossrail Bill, arguing that the
current proposals would unfairly use up much of the remaining
rail capacity within the London area, and did not provide the
necessary extra capacity on connecting lines. It was argued that
this would make it harder to route freight services from the southern
ports to the north and would increase freight transit times.
140. Petitioners from the freight industry asked
that the Bill be amended so that their business could not be 'forced
off the railway at the behest of Crossrail when they had made
proper arrangements to enter on to the railway' [36].
They also argued that the Crossrail operating timetable be properly
prepared so as to secure a commitment that freight could be carried
on the railway.[37]
141. The Committee is persuaded that the freight
industry faces an increasing challenge, with current capacity
insufficient for the needs of growth and we believe that the Government
should take steps to address this. However, the Committee believes
that these issues are largely the responsibility of Network Rail
and others rather than that of the Crossrail project. The Committee
was concerned about the uncertainty regarding the Access Option.
We look to the Committee in the House of Lords to ensure that
Access Option and any other remaining issues relating to the freight
industry are adequately evaluated.
36 Paragraph 15713 [Mr T Straker QC] Back
37
Paragraph 15714 [Mr T Straker QC] Back
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