THE TRUTH ABOUT SPEEDLINK ... OR IS IT?

The proposal for Speedlink, a second generateion of British Railways intermodal freight service developed by BR's R&D Division, has been killed by the operating department. This advancement of the Freightliner concept was a response to environmental and commercial pressures to get freight back on the railways. It would have involved 200 small depots, each with a simple gravity transfer system, clustered around 20 major computerized and automated sorting facilities. These would be connected by Freight Multiple Unit (FMU) trains making frequent, speedy trips handling containers between the various installations. The reasons for reluctance of BR management to endorse the proposed system and the future of BR research activities are discussed. If Speedlink is not profitable, extension of the cost estimating techniques would seem to indicate that no BR freight traffic is. This report sees BR management unwilling to compete seriously for any freight business which involves matching the road haulers' intensive utilizaiton of capital and manpower.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03735346
• Corporate Authors:

  IPC Transport Press, Limited

  Dorset House, Stamford Street
  London SE1 9LU,   England 
• Publication Date: 1976-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 3 p.
• Serial:
  • Railway Gazette International
  • Volume: 132
  • Issue Number: 12
  • Publisher: DVV Media Group
  • ISSN: 0373-5346
  • Serial URL: http://www.railwaygazette.com/about-us.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Containerization; Development; Industry structure; Intermodal transportation; Management; Marketing; Multiple unit trains; Policy; Research; Technological forecasting
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research and development
• Old TRIS Terms: Freightliners; Management policies
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Policy; Railroads; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00147899
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 16 1977 12:00AM