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FREIGHT L A N2 1 0 R2 N U M U O T U PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATED SOCIETY OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND FIREMEN JA More than 2 4 Investment: £200m boost for Philippa Edmunds: ORR rail freight infrastructure charge on freight threat just a union 2 News The FREIGHT JOURNAL erode driver’s pay along and our members. It’s not going forward. We will and improve pay and with terms and all doom and gloom. The continue to ensure that T&Cs for the conditions. We’ve got a future of rail freight still the industry has a bright membership. We’ve continued threat from looks positive with future but also that our shared the pain during Longer, Heavier Vehicles forecasts predicting members who deliver the tough times by from European growth. There is to be a these services share in making difficult decisions Legislation. Perhaps the £200m investment into any benefits from future in order to save jobs. We Welcome to the new copy biggest concern rearing the Strategic Freight growth. We are all aware were right to do this. But of the Freight Journal. It’s its head is the ORR’s Network and reports are of the challenges that we the FOCs must know this. been a challenging few attempts to price coal off showing the benefits that face in the Freight Sector, When they make profits, years for the freight of rail. Rest assured that HS2 will have on the but as a united and we expect to share in the sector. Freight operating we are fighting every freight sector. strong Trade Union I good times too. companies continue to issue that poses any But that doesn’t mean know we will overcome Mick Whelan, General plead poverty and try to threat to our industry we will be complacent them and keep jobs safe Secretary ASLEF welcomes £200m investment in the Strategic Freight Network SLEF has welcomed the £200 million A that has been committed to the Strategic Freight Network as part of the proposed package of investment for Control Period 5. The money will enable key freight schemes to be developed including the upgrade of major container routes from the deep-sea ports. Much of the work will be focused on creating an electric spine which will run from Southampton to South Yorkshire. This creates the prospect of electrically hauled rail freight becoming a reality in the medium term. This The money is in addition to previous funds what it can to promote more goods on to rail.” will further reduce the carbon emissions of rail of £30 million which have been made He explained “We need to be expanding rail freight making it an even greener alternative available for rail freight by the Scottish freight capacity but with measure such as trials to road haulage. It will also bring the other Government. for longer HGVs and new access charges for rail benefits of electrifications such as reduced General Secretary Mick Whelan welcomed freight on the horizon the government is in maintenance costs and increased reliability. the investment but expressed a note of danger of pushing goods off of rail and giving Other schemes due to benefit include caution saying,“This is obviously fantastic an even bigger advantage to road. For the works at Ely North Junction, Leicester area news for the rail freight industry. However benefit of the country this work must go ahead capacity work and additional capacity for rail increasing capacity which is greatly needed is but so should measures to promote more freight on the Felixstowe to Nuneaton corridor. only effective whilst the Government is doing freight on to rail.” ASLEF fighting to stop the ORR attacking rail freight ASLEF is taking on the fight to stop the ORR promoting industries such as rail freight that potential job losses should the proposed intentionally trying to reduce the amount of we can grow our economy and realign it to be measures be enforced. The union received a freight taken on rail. As you will see in depth in more diversified and solid. Creating the response suggesting that an assessment has the article by Freight on Rail’s Philippa circumstances that would see it reduce is yet to be made. Edmunds, Rail Freight is under attack by the therefore not only bad for the industry itself, The union has raised this issue at the very body that is supposed to support it. but for the British economy as a whole.” The Labour Party Conference and among members ASLEF responded to the consultation in the full consultation response can be found on the of the ASLEF Parliamentary Group. ASLEF strongest possible terms concluding, “It seems ASLEF website in the submissions section. believes that the Office of the Rail Regulator illogical to reduce a successful, green and In addition, ASLEF wrote a joint letter to the exists to promote and support the rail industry progressive sector which is forecast to have a ORR from the four transport unions (ourselves, and not to attack it and we will be using all bright future in order to pay for the mistakes of RMT, TSSA and Unite) asking what impact levers at our disposal to ensure goods and the financial sector. It is by investing and assessment has been undertaken regarding commodities are not priced off rail. News 3 Autumn 2012 ASLEF makes a noise about loud 66s A report by Mick hot, the number of times a driver Holder of ASLEF’s passed a red signal increased. While DB Schenker, GB Health and Safety Railfreight, Freightliner and DRS Department have investigated cab improvements, very little positive As we go to press ASLEF has action has taken place and the arranged for a meeting of officials problems with the cab and reps at headquarters to set environment persist.This failure to up a working group which will implement improvements has led address on-going problems with to the union setting up the excessive noise in Class 66 Locos, working group to look at ways of an issue for the union since their getting the train companies to act. introduction in 1998/99. Dave Bennett of ASLEF’s Health 250 Class 66’s were reportedly and Safety Department said: “The made in Canada by General main cause of noise in the Class 66 Motors Electro-Motive Division cabs is engine vibration. This is (EMD) and are used extensively by because the engine of the Class 66 DB Schenker, Direct Rail Services, is bolted directly to the frame and, Freightliner Group and GB unlike some other diesel Railfreight. They were designed locomotives, the driver’s cab is not with a "self-steering bogie" to isolated from the frame and so reduce track wear and increase vibration and noise are easily adhesion on curves. carried.” Since their introduction there However, all hope of getting walls, floors and ceilings. These “hush kits” which are available for have been problems for ASLEF something done isn’t lost – far are known as passive noise locomotives and driver cabs and members in the drivers cab with a from it. There are other reduction methods. Another are acknowledged as being lack of air conditioning, poor engineering solutions to reducing method is using active noise effective. They have been used by seating and excessive noise levels. the noise in the cabs such as reduction methods where the GB Railfreight, however the ASLEF has previously described ensuring there are no places in the noise being made is reduced by problem is they haven’t been the cabs as "unhealthy, unsafe cab where bare metal vibrates creating a second noise which widely used and therefore much and unsatisfactory". Research against another bare metal cancels out much of the first. of the stock is still very noisy – showed that in July 2006, when surface, or ensuring sound Many of these elements are which is where the new working the weather had been extremely insulation is in place in the doors, contained in what is known as group comes in. No light thrown on Intermodal fires this year? And all this begs the question of how sure drivers can be that they A Freightliner Intermodal the cab (an issue being out appropriate train have the correct signaller’s hand-out claiming to be a pursued by your protection’. This contradicts number for the location. ‘refresher’ on fires was representatives). Whilst the previous paragraph. Do And if I was scoring issued to drivers last month. instructions are given, there we first raise the alarm or cheap points I might point I sincerely hope no fires is no clarity about the go forward to protect the out that Intermodal don’t break out – because the priority or order of actions line? seem to be able to spell tail lamp on the front of advice is as enlightening as drivers should take. There is Also, do we alert the ‘extinguisher’ correctly on your train, and switch on a spent match in a long no advice, for example, on Signaller/Control by using a either page 3 or 6! It’s not as the hazard warning tunnel, says Simon Weller. whether the first step mobile phone, in if this is an unusual piece of indication (flashing It appears this hand-out should be to raise the conjunction with the kit! headlights). So does this is prompted by a spate of alarm, evacuate the area or locomotive radio, or using Muddled in the middle overrule raising the alarm unconnected locomotive fight the fire. Surely there the signal post telephone? of this publication for the with either the Signaller or fires which prompted one should be some guidance Your guess is as good as rail industry is a series of possibly the Control first? wag to Photoshop the in a ‘refresher’? mine. helpful hints on fires in And what about alighting name on the side of a class When it comes to The first option listed in buildings and homes. All and ‘immediately’ switching 70 from “Freightliner” to incidents with Dangerous the hand-out is to use a very interesting – but this is on the tail lamp! “Firelighter”. The hand-out Goods, the instruction is mobile phone – but why? supposed to be advice for I don’t know if our does nothing to address not just vague – it is Surely the default should drivers on trains! drivers need a refresher – what a driver should do contradictory. It says at the be to use of the train radio, Later we are told that in but I Intermodal do! Or at with the single smoke hood start we should alight, go especially as GSM-R is to be the case of an accident the least get someone who issued in cabs if there is along the line as fast as introduced over much of driver’s ‘immediate’ action knows what they’re doing more than one person in safety allows and then ‘carry the system by the end of must be to switch on the to write them. 4 Freight CHARGES The FREIGHT JOURNAL ORR proposed freight  £133 million per annum in road infrastructure costs  £68 million per annum in CO2 costs  Pro-rata 42 road deaths at a value of £78.8 charges could decimate million Despite the recession, long distance consumer rail freight grew 29% in the past five rail freight traffic years increasing market share. Despite challenging economic conditions, rail freight continues to grow; the latest Office of Rail Regulation annual figures issued in June show that the total amount of freight moved in 2011- 12 increased by 10% compared to 2010-11. This As freight drivers know only too well, the is the highest amount of total freight moved Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) proposal to since 2007-08. Long distance intermodal traffic moved increased by 11%, the 9th consecutive increase freight charges in the next control year of growth for consumer rail freight. Rail now period (CP5) could threaten existing rail commands 30% of the market out of the Southern container ports. freight traffic viability, undermine confidence in future The outlook for rail freight is very positive freight investment as well as setting unhelpful with forecasts showing overall rail freight tonne- precedents for passenger and freight services, writes km doubling between 2010 and 2030, long distance intermodal will quadruple, and with Philippa Edmunds ... investment (longer trains, 6 day railway) this consumer sector could grow 5-fold as long as existing market conditions are maintained; Currently rail mode share growth is increasing HEproposal would increase all charges T faster than the forecasts. for the period from 2013 but the We believe that the ORR could be in breach of biggest and most alarming change is statutory duties to promote the carriage of the introduction of the freight specific charge. freight, contribute to sustainable development The fundamental question is whether the and provide certainty for users of the railways. ORR should be allowed to price demand off the Additionally the proposals should be reviewed in railways with this freight specific charge; the the light of the SoS for Transport guidance proposal targets power station coal, spent issued in July 2012 which expressly states that nuclear fuel and iron ore traffic now but what is the Government recognises the important role to stop the ORR not only increasing these that rail freight plays in the nation’s logistics and charges but also adopting this policy for other the achievement of the sustainable distribution freight traffic and for certain passenger services objectives. And that the Government wishes to in the future? facilitate the continuing development of a The ORR proposal is that it is OK to reduce a competitive, efficient and dynamic private sector freight market sector by as much as 10% rail freight industry and is committed to through higher pricing. If they apply the 10% to ensuring that policies and regulations should “tonnes lifted” the impact on power station coal work to this end and should not create would be a much bigger cut of 23% in “tonne- unnecessary transactional costs or other miles” since longer distance Scots-Anglo coal obstacles to the achievement of these objectives would be most disadvantaged by the higher future and recognises the social, environmental and future growth. (Paragraph 32) charges being applied on a per mile basis. and economic benefits of rail freight to society Given all these factors as well as the This massive cut in train miles proposed by and UK PLC. Government Climate Change Act commitment Civil Servants in London slashes drivers’ jobs in to reduce transport carbon emissions, the ORR the economically hard pressed regions. It would Timescales proposals seem misplaced. Rail freight produces put Scottish miners out of work and lead to higher levels of imported coal. The formal consultation to which Aslef, Freight 70% less carbon dioxide per tonne carried than The ORR is planning to export employment in on Rail and rail freight operators and customers the equivalent road journey; and directly related the mining sector from Scotland to Russia. Also, responded, closed on 10th August and a final to this is the fact that rail is fuel efficient with a there is no limit to how often the 10% cut is determination is due to be announced by the gallon of diesel carrying a tonne of freight 246 applied; the ORR proposals would allow it to ORR sometime in November. So it is crucial that miles by rail compared to 88 miles by road. apply the cut cumulatively every time it makes a we all lobby MPs and Ministers now. Freight-specific charge on avoidable new price determination. The nascent biomass market, which has seen The case for rail freight is sound costs and its impact on jobs serious investment in modified wagons, could The rail freight sector contributes £870 million to The most worrying part of the proposed ORR be cut off in its prime if the ORR goes on to the UK economy and supports output of £5.9bn. increases is its introduction of freight specific impose charges in Control Period 6, which it is Network Rail figures show that the benefits of charges for avoidable costs which is aimed at minded to do if it thinks it can get away with it. rail freight fall outside the railway balance sheet recovering at least some of their “avoidable What we are asking for is straightforward but benefit the road network and the economy costs” which represent expenditure which would charging which allows rail to compete with road, by removing or reducing; be avoided if freight trains were not running on gives investors a degree of certainty about the  £772 million per annum in congestion costs the network. Freight 5 Autumn 2012 CHARGES MDS Transmodal, who carried out the competitive compared to gas. Coal could be a to England – all by rail. As access charges are modelling for the ORR consultation, stated that tipping point which causes a spiral of decline. generally levied per tonne-km, the increase in increases in charges would lead to 23% drop in A key question is what impact assessment cost per tonne used will be greater for coal rail tonne kilometres. So in broad terms given has ORR carried out, both in terms of rail freight which has travelled further. that coal is around a third of the business, this overall and on the economy and society? If the Longer term the ORR has stated its intention increase could lead to a drop of a quarter of that ORR does not continue to take into account the to determine a charge that is geographically traffic which would certainly bring about economic, social and environmental benefits of disaggregated which would add further redundancies in the FOC workforces. rail freight to society and support the sector in its complexity even though the current charging structures, certain rail freight flows may consultation is about an average charge across Impact on other traffic no longer be viable. all vehicle types and geography. If distance The consultation implies that the selected traffics This could result in the DfT having to build based charging is not being considered on road can bear increases in charges, as demand is more roads, with the resulting increase in why is it applicable to rail? inelastic and would not cause significant modal pollution, road accidents and road congestion. Route based charging will potentially distort shift unlike in other sectors. However, coal traffic This could lead to the Government not being competition with winners and losers on different cannot be isolated from other traffic. If coal able to meet its carbon dioxide reductions for routes being affected by different charges, e.g: traffic is reduced, this will have knock on effects 2020 and 2050, to which it is legally bound. iron ore inland sites such as Scunthorpe on other parts of rail freight, for example What is there to stop the ORR increasing the compared with coastal sites such as Port Talbot. locomotive use, maintenance and terminal costs percentage of coal tonne miles it deems Capacity/scarcity charges are yet to be across other commodities which could render acceptable at the next review and applying this developed and are likely to be an additional cost. other traffic unviable. approach to other commodities? Finally, It has to be asked why the ORR is considering undermining rail freight which has Freight traffics are not segregated on the railway or in operator accounting in this way, so Scottish Open Cast mines case study been a success story for the railways. Rail freight increases in costs and reductions in volume in These freight increases could lead to the closure has a crucial role in reducing long distance road some traffics will have impacts on the costs for of eight open cast mines which supply all the congestion, a problem which is estimated to cost other traffics where demand is more elastic. English power stations. These proposals would businesses £24 billion per annum. There will also be a knock on for other users hit longer distance traffic so rail traffic from Please contact your MP who needs to be of coal other than the electricity generators that Scotland would be especially badly affected. alerted to the adverse congestion, pollution and also rely on coal deliveries for their production Therefore in addition to the hundreds of Scottish safety impacts if freight traffic is forced back onto process, e.g: cement, steel. mining jobs, rail freight sector would be badly hit the roads. A short communication is all that is Changes in price would also make coal less as half the coal extracted in Scotland is transport needed to highlight the grave situation rail freight faces. 6 Union REPRESENTATION The FREIGHT JOURNAL Nigel Gibson looks forward to hitting the ground running in both Freightliners and GB Railfreight Having spent over seven years on the Executive Committee of ASLEF, I was elected to the position of District Organiser for District No. 5 in June 2012 and I have now been given the responsibility as Lead Officer for RAIL FREIGHT POISED TO COME INTO three of the freight companies, GB Railfreight; Freightliner Intermodal and Freightliner Heavy Haul as well as Greater Anglia and c2c. CENTRAL LONDON ONCE AGAIN Whilst I did spend a few years at Stratford before it closed in 1994 and Freight services into central London are set to did have the opportunity to work on various freight and ballast trains, my begin in the next few weeks with Colas train driving background has been passenger based. I was however kept running services from Daventry International well appraised by the late Andy Morrison and in my role on the Executive Committee, of the Railfreight terminal into London Euston. The issues faced by members in the freight sector. services will be run on behalf of the Stobart The structure of the Machinery and Representation is the key to all that we do on behalf Group and will be run by electric Class 86 of the membership. If that process is not working or is frustrated by the management then locos. we will always have difficulties delivering on your behalf. Having met with all three freight The goods being carried will initially be for companies now, I believe there are changes that can be made to improve the functionality the Marks & Spencer and Tesco shops within of the machinery of negotiation to provide the Local and Company Council Reps with the the station and will also supply businesses opportunity and support needed to carry out their role. locally. Goods destined for other stations on We need to improve the ways in which we communicate with you as members using e- the Euston Road such as King's Cross and St newsletters and Company Council Websites. I would also urge you to provide ASLEF with Pancras could also be supplied by the service. your email and mobile phone number to assist us in our efforts to improve communication. The frequency of the services, which will Whilst understanding that the freight sector is a different world to that of passenger probably arrive during the night or early operators, with the insecurity of contracts, we cannot allow the companies to use that as an morning, has yet to be established. They will excuse to drive through unnecessary changes which are detrimental to our members’ terms use the platforms where parcel and Motorail and conditions of service or rates of pay. traffic once stood in the east or west of the I realise that there are many issues that will need to be discussed and I have begun to station. These platforms have access to the meet with the Reps and it is also my intention to attend branch meetings where invited to road through ramps and are currently only listen to the views and concerns of our members over the coming months and I look forward used by a handful of Virgin Trains, London to working alongside you all. Midland and London Overground trains as well as the ScotRail sleeper. DB Schenker 7 Autumn 2012 DB Schenker battle on pay and conditions Report By Simon Weller, National Organiser ... D BS members have been fighting two issues, one is pay and the other is a battle to end the almost continuous abrogation of terms and conditions, abuse of rostering and diagrams. The initial pay offer from DBS was a paltry 3%, increased to 3.1% following further talks. Obviously this was never going to be good enough. Following a magnificent ballot result of nearly 86% voting Yes based on an 83% return we took strike action – timed to disrupt ballasts and minimise the number of members who would lose pay. The agreement is about changing their resourcing of drivers covering drivers’ duties – This resulted in an increased offer of 3.5%. behaviour but also protecting us by allowing not to resource their managerial structures. This was applied across all allowances but with DBS to fulfil their obligations to customers. Depot establishments are now an issue to a moratorium on the rest day rate until The Directors have agreed that things must be dealt with nationally and a new December 2013. The rest day rate will increase change and the cycle of abuse must be broken establishment calculator will be developed to by 3.5% then. This is currently out to and sharp practices ended. In any event the replace the discredited TP6. referendum, with a return date of the 15th Program Expectancy clause will be withdrawn There are two appendices contained in the October 2012. from December 2013. agreement; the monitoring section is The most important issue is the abuse of If DBS fail to adhere to the obligations important as it is no longer retrospective - they T&Cs. There have been long and protracted contained in the agreement and therefore fail can no longer put illegal diagrams out and discussions with DBS over the issue of abuse to change their behaviour – and there are then say they'll do something about it and misuse of diagramming – something that monthly reviews - then the agreement will be afterwards, a key failing of the current system. you have made very clear was a priority. withdrawn. The local reps will be briefed on this as they We are not going to sort out the In some areas we have seen tactics out of will responsible for the national monitoring abrogations without addressing the root cause sheer desperation to get the service resourced and reporting. The other appendix is the of the problems which is their shortage of fully and now they have RDW and a proper training detailed training allocation plan which will be trained drivers. plan then these problems will end. The reviewed by reps to ensure individual drivers We know in their desperation to get a agreement is clear that this is only for the are allocated their training blocks in the most driver on a train they'll pull any stunt. We have appropriate way; avoiding leave, block RDs etc. to make sure that the need to pull these stunts We are also aware that some depots are still is no longer there. We can posture, threaten at risk and some may be at risk in the future so and demand they stop as much as we like but the agreement includes a no compulsory unless the shortage of fully trained drivers is redundancy clause. addressed we all know that they’ll be up to These are significant changes – partly their old tricks within weeks. because they now realise we are serious in However, there is a very important aspect changing behaviours. This is the first time they which is when they do pull a stunt drivers have been truly challenged and the nine should be telling them no. We must stop weeks without RDW has shown how poorly colleagues from coming out of their windows resourced they are. to help out. We let them do it once and it'll We have tried many things to stop DBS become the norm. How can we insist the abusing the system in the past but simply company stick to the agreements when we are saying "stop" hasn't worked - if we're going to happy to bend them ourselves? be effective we need to change their To address the changes the current rest day behaviour by addressing the root cause of the working agreement is designed to deliver problem - hence the strict training plan. training. We cannot afford to continue We shouldn't have to take responsibility for allowing DBS to rely on wholesale volunteers managing the firm but if we don't it won't to run a multinational company. stop. 8 INFRASTRUCTURE The FREIGHT JOURNAL Brazilian rail freight boss taps Derbyshire for its The United Kingdom Trade and Investment expertise to deliver Olympics and World Cup (UKTI) have identified Brazlian Railways as a The president of the deliver both the World In addition Mr Abate, high-growth market. Bralizian National Rail Cup in 2014 and the Rio who is based in Sao Paulo, Peter Hogarth, regional Freight Association, Olympics in 2016. said: "We came to Derby director for UKTI, said Rodrigo Vilaca along with The delegation who because it is a very big “They are hosting the the president of the were invited to Derby by centre for the rail industry World Cup in 2014 and so Brazilian Railway the government in the UK. In the 19th there is lots of work to Industries Association, organisation UK Trade and century, the British built infrastructure taking Trains have been made in Vicente Abate came to Investment East Midlands railways across Brazil and place. Brazil is a high- Derby since 1879 Derby at the end of were shown around the expertise and skills at growth market and there September. They are Network Rail's state-of- companies here could railroad and an is a lot of potential for looking to team up with the-art control centre, support our plans. Brazil investment of billions. work. This visit provides a the town’s rail firms in which monitors all on- has been growing in the There is the chance to fantastic opportunity for order to help build the track activity for East past 10 years and there make partnerships with local firms to tap into the infrastructure required to Midlands Trains. are plans for 10,000km of UK companies." opportunities out there." Report shows HS2 will allow rail freight to continue to lower carbon emissions A new study by Greengage 21 has shown that by bring to rail freight. Relieving the West Coast freeing up capacity on the existing mainlines, HS2 Mainline and the East Coast Mainline of passenger will allow more rail freight to travel and will therefore services means that more Freight paths can be create carbon benefits of over 50%. found.” He added, “This study proves what we have HS2 will create an additional three train paths per always said. Create more capacity for rail freight and hour in each direction which would could be utilised you will reduce carbon emission, not to mention the by long distance freight services. benefits of reduced road congestions in terms of ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan explained, financial costs and safety.” “One of the reasons ASLEF has supported HS2, has ASLEF sill be appealing to the Government to not only been to increase the passenger capacity for ensure that rail freight is given fair access to any rail in the UK, but also because of the benefits it can freed capacity as a consequence of HS2.