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Wed, 1 Sep 2010
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Can freight services through the Channel Tunnel work?
Dear Kizzi,
Rail is not always distance related to make it financially work. Sometimes distance can be slightly too far, requiring an extra set of wagons to act as a buffer. Some long-distance routes will never work because of the lack of UK exports.
Route clearance is fine, however loco-clearance is equally important. Class 92 remains the only loco that can be used to haul freight via the [Channel] Tunnel.
Eurostar doesn’t stop at Dollands Moor or Fréthun to change loco. UK-bound freight services stop in Fréthun France for a loco change and intermodal units are inspected by French Customs and illegal immigrants, whom frequently opened rear doors of bulk products, spilling the cargo everywhere.
I’ve just completed an up-to date study on rates, costs based on a UK-Belgium roundtrip.
Each and every service has to be 100% laden in both directions to cover your costs, no financial margin possible, no margin for error.
The Channel tunnel can work, given time and financial flexibility in the early stages.
It does however need an operator with deep pockets and the will to succeed, with or without Government subsidies or Minimum Usage Charge.
Perhaps Eurotunnel should take the matter further with the aid of recently bought GB-Railfreight etc. That would be true liberalisation and the only viable option.
Yours,
Tony Davis
Sales & Operations Manager
Quadrum Raillogistics
------------------------------------------------
Re: Oliver Evans video blog
Dear Kizzi,
Oliver Evans comparison of the logistics industry to Jazz is unfortunate if not totally inaccurate.
Jazz players in many instances, like the traditional air freight industry, could be described as a rag-bag collection of highly individualistic players whose penchant for
’improvisations’ lead on most occasions to customer ’blues’.
Logistics, if it is to be efficient, must be much more like a string quartet playing Bach.
I remember commissioning a study of 2,000 international freight shipments (Unisys Report, 1996) which showed that the movement of a box from Shipper to Consignee involved 40 fragmented processes with a reliability rate of 65%.
The integrated operators had only 9 processes and high performance levels. The ’Jazzier’ the traditional industry becomes the more bum notes that will surely follow.
Yours,
Hugh Doyle
Dear Kizzi,
Rail is not always distance related to make it financially work. Sometimes distance can be slightly too far, requiring an extra set of wagons to act as a buffer. Some long-distance routes will never work because of the lack of UK exports.
Route clearance is fine, however loco-clearance is equally important. Class 92 remains the only loco that can be used to haul freight via the [Channel] Tunnel.
Eurostar doesn’t stop at Dollands Moor or Fréthun to change loco. UK-bound freight services stop in Fréthun France for a loco change and intermodal units are inspected by French Customs and illegal immigrants, whom frequently opened rear doors of bulk products, spilling the cargo everywhere.
I’ve just completed an up-to date study on rates, costs based on a UK-Belgium roundtrip.
Each and every service has to be 100% laden in both directions to cover your costs, no financial margin possible, no margin for error.
The Channel tunnel can work, given time and financial flexibility in the early stages.
It does however need an operator with deep pockets and the will to succeed, with or without Government subsidies or Minimum Usage Charge.
Perhaps Eurotunnel should take the matter further with the aid of recently bought GB-Railfreight etc. That would be true liberalisation and the only viable option.
Yours,
Tony Davis
Sales & Operations Manager
Quadrum Raillogistics
------------------------------------------------
Re: Oliver Evans video blog
Dear Kizzi,
Oliver Evans comparison of the logistics industry to Jazz is unfortunate if not totally inaccurate.
Jazz players in many instances, like the traditional air freight industry, could be described as a rag-bag collection of highly individualistic players whose penchant for
’improvisations’ lead on most occasions to customer ’blues’.
Logistics, if it is to be efficient, must be much more like a string quartet playing Bach.
I remember commissioning a study of 2,000 international freight shipments (Unisys Report, 1996) which showed that the movement of a box from Shipper to Consignee involved 40 fragmented processes with a reliability rate of 65%.
The integrated operators had only 9 processes and high performance levels. The ’Jazzier’ the traditional industry becomes the more bum notes that will surely follow.
Yours,
Hugh Doyle
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