14 October 2011 - St Albans City & District Council

New Matters and Changes in Circumstances: Rail Freight
1 Introduction
1.1 This report sets out on behalf of the Local Planning Authority changes in
circumstances on rail freight issues since the Inquiry closed on 18 December 2009.
2 New Documents
2.1 Steer Davies Gleave has reviewed the following new documents that have been
published since the conclusion of the 2009 Inquiry (in order of publication):
I East Midlands Route Utilisation Strategy (Network Rail), February 2010;
I Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy (Network Rail), March 2010;
I London and South East Route Utilisation Strategy, (Network Rail), July 2011;
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The London Plan, Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London (Mayor of
London), July 2011;
Planning Committee Report on Slough International Freight Exchange (SIFE)
application (Slough Borough Council, September 2011) and the Refusal Notice (8
September 2011); and
Initial Industry Plan England and Wales, Proposals for Control Period 5 and
Beyond (Rail Freight Operators Association, Railway Industry Association,
Association of Train Operating Companies & Network Rail), September 2011.
3 Initial Industry Plan
3.1 The Initial Industry Plan (IIP) England and Wales, prepared by Network Rail, the
Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), the Railway Industry Association
and the Rail Freight Operators Association (September 2011) sets out how the
industry can deliver a more efficient and better value railway and how the railway
can play a key role in driving sustainable economic growth. It provides a starting
point for discussion with Government and the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) on
the priorities for Control Period 5 (CP5 (2014 – 2019)) and takes account of the Rail
Value for Money Study (DfT/ORR May 2011),and the cross-industry work on Route
Utilisation Strategies (RUS).
3.2 The key points of relevance to the proposed rail freight interchange at Colnbrook
(SIFE) are:
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Specific mention of how gauge clearance on the Great Western Main Line
(GWML) including the connection to the West Coast Main Line (WCML) at Acton
“also enables freight terminals to be developed at Colnbrook” (Page 99); also,
in relation to gauge clearance of the GWML “a business case will be developed
over the forthcoming months” (page 140) and the opportunity “to minimise
disruption to rail users and deliver this scheme [gauge clearance for 9’6”
containers] efficiently in conjunction with the electrification of the Great
Western Main Line” (page 140).
Emphasis on Southampton to WCML capacity enhancements which “provides the
network capability required to accommodate the forecast growth in freight
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