Freightliner switch back to diesel.

[adam2]

Freightliner, a major UK railfreight operator are withdrawing and storing ALL their electric locomotives, due to increased electricity prices.

Back to diesel which is cheaper at present. So much for greening freight transport! Though it must be said that a diesel train is greener than diesel trucks to convey the same load.

https://www.railmagazine.com/news/netwo ... tric-fleet

[clv101]

Ramifications. Going back some 15 years, I though UK was more at risk from electricity related issues than oil / liquid fuels related issues. But my focus was on blackouts / rota cuts etc. I never really considered the dramatic price rise in the wholesale market being effective.

As an aside, I'm involved with a commercial scale wind turbine, and we've recently been offered a 12 month purchase contract at 16p /kWh, up from 5.9p. If this is even remotely typical, we are currently in the process of locking in at least a year of MUCH higher electricity prices.

[PS_RalphW]

Hopefully those huge profits will be reinvested in an even faster rollout of wind and battery storage

[adam2]

Ramifications. Going back some 15 years, I though UK was more at risk from electricity related issues than oil / liquid fuels related issues. But my focus was on blackouts / rota cuts etc. I never really considered the dramatic price rise in the wholesale market being effective.

As an aside, I'm involved with a commercial scale wind turbine, and we've recently been offered a 12 month purchase contract at 16p /kWh, up from 5.9p. If this is even remotely typical, we are currently in the process of locking in at least a year of MUCH higher electricity prices.

If the wind turbine was viable at 5.9 pence a unit, then at 16 pence a unit it should be a lot more profitable. Hopefully this will encourage a lot more wind turbines, and perhaps other renewables.

Returning to Freightliner, I have heard it suggested that the company is not dong very well in general, this was it must be said from a senior manager of one of their competitors.

[Catweazle]

As an aside, I'm involved with a commercial scale wind turbine, and we've recently been offered a 12 month purchase contract at 16p /kWh, up from 5.9p. If this is even remotely typical, we are currently in the process of locking in at least a year of MUCH higher electricity prices.

Does the buyer commit to taking a minimum amount from your turbine ?

[kenneal - lagger]

I would have thought that Freightliner would be taking a lot of long distance traffic off the roads at the moment with the shortage of truck drivers. Moving long distance stuff to rail is an obvious way to address the shortage of drivers.

I suppose they might not have the load/unload capability in the right places though. I saw an article saying that a lot of the major logistics companies already had train movement for the south of England to Scotland via Daventry. A depot further south would be sensible. A lot of freight comes out of Southampton by train and also Felixstowe. Hopefully the driver shortage will push the trend further although I can't see the old situation where every town and village on a rail network had it's own sidings. They are all either built over or are the car park for the station now.

[BritDownUnder]

Yes when I got the train to university I always noticed that older factories were built close to the railways and even had overhanging crane girders for easy loading. It was the same in NZ until relatively recently and they even had a mandate during Muldoon's government that any freight over 50km had to be railed.