News

A long awaited study into the impact of running longer and heavier vehicles (LHVs) in the UK is about to be submitted to the government amid rumours that it favours their introduction. Professor Alan McKinnon of Heriot-Watt University confirms that the final report will be submitted soon, but declines to comment on its conclusions.

The report coincides with a claim from industry insiders that European Transport  Commissioner Jacques Barrot has appointed consultants from Belgium, France and the Netherlands to advise on the way ahead for LHVs on a European level. The suggestion that the political mood might be inclining towards 60-tonners has alarmed the rail-freight lobby, which claims their introduction would marginalise rail freight movements.

Lobby group Freight on Rail has announced the results of a National Opinion Poll that claims 75% of the public are against LHV trials. However, industry insiders have raised their eyebrows at the questionnaire's wording: "The government is considering legislation that will allow 60-tonne lorries, which are more than a third longer and heavier than the present legal limit, onto our roads. Would you be likely to support this or not?"

Rail-freight lobbyists are now raising doubts over LHVs' efficiency. Rail freight operator EWS  claims DfT figures show "the proportion of empty running by large articulated HGVs has risen since 2003 from 26.5% to 27.4% while the load factor of these vehicles has been falling more or less steadily since 1995 from 70% to 59%."

Leading LHV proponent Dick Denby says: "The industry gets criticised slightly unfairly for empty running. Why not fill it in both directions? You can't! I don't believe we are going to sweep the rail industry overboard."