Greater Manchester Rail Freight Routing Study
Greater Manchester Rail Freight Routing Study
Client: Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM, in association with Jacobs)
Date: 2020
MDST was commissioned by TfGM to undertake a study examining the current and likely future routing of freight train services passing through the Greater Manchester area.
The Question
- How many freight train services per day pass into and through the Greater Manchester area and what commodities are they conveying?
- Which routes are currently used by freight train services when passing into and through the Greater Manchester area and where are the terminals being served located?
- In future how many freight train services per day can be expected to pass into and through the Greater Manchester area and which routes will they use?
- Are any new terminals being planned for the Greater Manchester area?
- What are the key issues likely to constrain future rail freight growth and what options are potentially available to mitigate them?
The Solution
- Plotted current freight demand by route in the Greater Manchester area, differentiated by commodity groupings;
- Plotted forecast future freight demand on the same basis based on 3 potential scenarios.
- For identified rail ‘corridors’ in the Greater Manchester area, examined the key issues likely to constrain future rail freight growth, taking into account TfGM’s aspirations for future passenger service frequency on those corridors.
- Undertook a consultation exercise with key commercial stakeholders across northern England.
- Proposed high level potential solutions to mitigate the identified key issues likely to constrain future rail freight growth.
Outcome
Report for TfGM to assist in their policy and business case development.