I was reading recently an article in Rail 881 entitled "industry leaders lend their support to guiding mind', and I was struck by comments reported by the Rail Freight Group Director which were supportive and commented that 'The governance and incentives for carrying freight on the network are currently dominated by the transport of passengers' and goes on to talk of making 'difficult decisions' (which sets alarm bells ringing to me as a passenger).
I tend to think of the more traditional hierachy of priority, with the Royal train at the top, followed by Inter-City, followed by stopper, followed by fast freight, followed by slow freight, but freight might be coughing up more than a two carriage local.
Whilst I recognise the importance of railfreight as important, to take freight off the roads and get bulk flows about, I'm less keen on it being prioritised over my passenger train.
We had the question posed a few years ago over whether the Felixtowe branch would be better used for freight, with passengers consigned to coaches. Fortunately the decision seems to have been taken for the branch to be upgraded, and both freight and passenger services to be accommodated.
I'm interested in views on how competing needs for freight and capacity should be accommodated.
I tend to think of the more traditional hierachy of priority, with the Royal train at the top, followed by Inter-City, followed by stopper, followed by fast freight, followed by slow freight, but freight might be coughing up more than a two carriage local.
Whilst I recognise the importance of railfreight as important, to take freight off the roads and get bulk flows about, I'm less keen on it being prioritised over my passenger train.
We had the question posed a few years ago over whether the Felixtowe branch would be better used for freight, with passengers consigned to coaches. Fortunately the decision seems to have been taken for the branch to be upgraded, and both freight and passenger services to be accommodated.
I'm interested in views on how competing needs for freight and capacity should be accommodated.