RFG Press release immediate release Friday 4^th December 2009

RFG News December 2009 published today.

RFG’s regular newsletter, RFG News, December issue, is published today.  It leads with the Copenhagen message that UK rail freight can save 4.6m tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030 ,and is 70% more carbon friendly than road transport.

We report on the first temperature controlled services from Spain to the UK and on the ongoing debate about longer and heavier lorries.

We comment on how local authorities appear happy to put costly and time consuming delays on rail enhancements, we offer some ideas on franchising reform to make the railways operate more fairly, and on this risk of a European duopoly appearing in the rail freight market.

Thanks to the efforts of a small number of companies and individuals, rail freight in Ireland is slowly waking up out of its state-owned slumber, according to Howard Knott, of the Irish Exporters Association.

RFG News 81 contains other news both from the UK and continent, our successful Awards Ceremony, and reports from Westminster, Wales and the European Rail Freight Association.

Further information RFG Chairman Tony Berkeley +44 7710 431 542, tony@rfg.org.uk