THE INFLUENCE OF THE IMAGE OF SUPPLIERS ON BUYER BEHAVIOUR IN THE FREIGHT TRANSPORT MARKET

The freight transport market in the UK has been increasing at a rate of between 1 and 2% p.a. Since the mid 1960s as measured by total ton-miles and it is worth some 1500 million lbs. annually. That freight business of British Rail accounts for approximately 20% of the total market size is of particular importance to the financial viability of the railways as a whole, owing to the fact that freight traditionally has generated about 40% of the revenue of British rail and difficulty has been experienced in operating it at a sufficiently profitable level to provide for essential re-investment in the business. This lack of profitability caused consideration to be given to the possibility of withdrawing altogether from the market for freight traffic in less than train-loads but this was rejected on the grounds that freight traffic shares assets such as track, signalling, locomotives and manpower with other rail services. A withdrawal from the smaller "wagon load" traffic would reduce traffic by nearly 50% and lead to an under-utilisation of assets thus weakening overall rail profitability. (a) /TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Physical Distribution Management Limited

  200 Keighley Road
  Bradford, Yorkshire,   England 
• Authors:
  • Cunningham, M T
  • Kettlewood, K
• Publication Date: 1975

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 238-251
• Serial:
  • INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue Number: 5

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Capital investments; Commodities; Competition; Delivery service; Demand; Forecasting; Freight traffic; Freight transportation; Investments; Profitability; Profits; Railroads; Ton miles; Traffic forecasting; Transportation modes; Unit trains
• Identifier Terms: British Rail
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Railway
• ITRD Terms: 284: Delivery; 285: Demand (econ); 283: Freight; 1112: Freight transport; 227: Investment; 217: Profit; 293: Ton mile; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00136426
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 23 1976 12:00AM