IDELINES
Freightliner in rail trials with Kraft Heinz
FOOD conglomerate Kraft Heinz has run a trial train with Freightliner to move foodstuffs from Elst in the Netherlands to the Kraft Heinz National Distribution Centre at Wigan.
The project has also involved the Innovate UKsponsored Liverpool-Humber Optimisation of Freight Transport (LHOFT) project, the University of Hull, Oxford Rail Strategies and Network Rail, who worked together to develop an intermodal rail freight solution to move food products. This led to the test train to evaluate the feasibility of delivering Kraft Heinz products by rail.
The trial, operated overnight, was considered a complete success and Kraft Heinz will now be considering whether to build on its findings.
Emma Dempsey, chief commercial officer for G&W’s UK/Europe Region companies said:“As the largest operator of carbon neutral traction, we are continually developing solutions to deliver decarbonisation targets and we were delighted tobe partofthe team to trial this potential modal shift to rail.”
Police investigate as tractor driver dumps waste water at station
BRITISH Transport Police are investigating an incident at Hartford station on the night of January 20 when a tractor driver was filmed by a member of the public apparently dumping thousands of litres of filthy liquid froma slurry trailer into the station car park.
The film shows the trailer being reversed into the station entrance, the driver then gets out to release the liquid which cascades down the station access road and onto theWest Coast Main Line below.
Storm Christoph had already forced the closure of several key rail links in the North West, but this act added Crewe toWarrington to the list, making life tougher still for Network Rail frontline teams battling against the elements to clear sections of flooded railway.
Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said the incident had made his blood boil, calling the driver a ‘cynical opportunist’.
Hull Trains and Grand Central pause services for third time
OPEN access operators Hull Trains and Grand Central suspended services until an easing of the lockdown is announced, following the introduction of the latest national lockdown due to coronavirus.
It is the third time the operators have been forced to halt services and furlough staff.
Both companies ceased running from 00.01 on January 9. Grand Central indicated a return to service was being planned for March 1, but Hull Trains said it had made no decision on when its services would restart.
FOOD conglomerate Kraft Heinz has run a trial train with Freightliner to move foodstuffs from Elst in the Netherlands to the Kraft Heinz National Distribution Centre at Wigan.
A SERIES of reports has highlighted a lack of resilience through the‘Castlefield Corridor’. It follows a significant fall in the punctuality and performance of services through Manchester from May 2018, after an ambitious new timetable was introduced to make full use of the new Ordsall Chord.