Freight firms hit back at rail cuts

THE Strategic Rail Authority is facing unprecedented legal action from rail freight users furious at plans to cancel repairs on dozens of lines.

They believe that SRA chairman Richard Bowker has not properly consulted them over plans to cut the repair budget for freight lines and they are considering seeking a legal review to force him to look again at the decision.

Lord Berkeley, chairman of the Rail Freight Group, which represents dozens of companies that send goods by rail, said: 'The consultation document was a farce. The SRA has not taken proper account of the views of the industry. It would not surprise me if someone in the industry goes for a judicial review. I am sure they would have a very good case.'

He said that power stations, for example, which depend on trains to deliver coal, would be unable to cope with problems and delays caused by maintenance cutbacks.

The effect of running down maintenance would be to force companies to switch their goods to the overcrowded roads, Berkeley added.

The SRA, which oversees Britain's railways, wants to slash £600m from the maintenance budget for rural and freight lines and to ban heavy goods trains from using parts of the passenger network.

Last week, Network Rail, which maintains the tracks, confirmed that cuts would have a devastating effect. John Armitt, Network Rail's chief executive, predicted the cuts would lead to 430 broken rails a year by 2006 compared with 291 under the company's current business plan. He forecast that temporary speed restrictions would rise from 417 to 662 within three years while signal failures would rise by 11%.

Ceri Evans, the SRA communications director, described the decision by Network Rail to go public on the effects of cutbacks as 'churlish and histrionic' and accused them of negotiating in public.