Freight bosses fear losing Manchester paths as part of devolution of passenger services

Rail freight leaders have expressed concern at losing vital track access capacity through Manchester, if local transport leaders increase the number of urban passenger services running in the city over the coming years.

Speaking at an All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group meeting on December 9, dedicated to discussing devolution in rail, Rail Freight Group Director General Maggie Simpson warned that freight operators are “incredibly nervous” about the government devolving control of passenger services to local regions.

“They are going to investment boards to build new terminals and new rolling stock, but they fear they’re about to be kicked off the network in anywhere that looks like a city,” Simpson told MPs.

“We have an opportunity to get the governance right to make rail freight a shared joy, rather than something Great British Railways is forced to do, or I’m forced to argue about all the time.”

Under Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GCMA) plans, eight rail lines will be branded as part of the authority’s Bee Network, with Great British Railways operating the trains.

Andy Bagnall, Chief Executive at Rail Partners, called on GBR to set out how it intends to treat freight operators fairly.

“If GBR is adjudicating on access rights when it has skin in the game in terms of running services, and therefore there is revenue to be gained or lost, you have to have clearly defined rights for freight operators to run services,” he warned.

“There are some really big questions about how devolution is going to work. You cannot have a conversation around devolution without beginning to answer some of those bigger questions about the rights and responsibilities of combined authorities.”

Responding to the concerns raised, GCMA Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt conceded that while freight “is central to making the country work and servicing the country”, he suggested that freight services should avoid the city.

“If you stand on Platform 13 at Piccadilly and you’re waiting for a train to Cleethorpes, and a mile-long freight train is trundling through Castlefield Corridor, it doesn’t need to go that way. That route is impeding the delivery of better passenger services,” he said.

“Imagine being at Blackfriars, waiting for a train and a freight train comes through?

“Everyone would think it is something just a bit weird. We’ve got to replan to refocus here. Some of the freight paths aren’t used and they could be released, almost instantly improving services.”

Everitt, who was previously managing director for customers, communication and technology at Transport for London, added that a proposal to “redevelop” the Trafford Park euroterminal “would be a great opportunity to try and stop some of the freight running through central Manchester”.