Was having a quick flick through Rail magazine at Strensham services this morning and read an article where it says that all the ports are wanting rail freight to be a 365 days a year operation.
I didn’t realise that a freight train does 5 round trips a week (that’s what it says in the mag) and they’re wanting to extend this to 6 which those in the industry say is viable and even 7 trips. What effect would 7 days a week rail freight have on the road transport industry? The obvious ones would be less journeys made by truck and also stock getting delivered quicker by rail than it is now but also how would it affect how the ports work?
I’d be interested to listen to those that work on containers and the lads that drive freight trains on here think as I don’t work on containers I do general haulage.
Also what about weekend engineering works that shut down some of the rail network on a weekends, how would they get around this?
There is ‘normally’ plenty of work doing railhead to delivery to collection back to railhead, so can’t see losing a few trips to the docks being very detrimental…
What I can see however, is that one of the few remaining mon - fri jobs starting to include weekends 
Is this just containers? I know trains run from Tyne Dock around the clock 365 days of the year carrying bulk coal and biomass, so I presumed hat containers by rail would be the same
sayersy:
Is this just containers? I know trains run from Tyne Dock around the clock 365 days of the year carrying bulk coal and biomass, so I presumed hat containers by rail would be the same
It wasn’t specific in what sort of rail freight I’m presuming it was on about containers.
The cost could stop this happening you may have 1 train but 3 drivers all on double or triple pay then all signallers same on high pay for 8 hours just for 1 train.
Then again I am now a signaller so if they could start this year must be worth £300 for 8 hours.