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At last month's Multimodal 2008 exhibition, held at the NEC, well established 3PLs were unequivocal in their support for multimodal freight movements, a concept that has long been the norm in Europe. "We have been running trains for over 30 years," says John G Russell contracts manager Eddie Grier, adding that original customers "are still with us".

Russell sends two 26-wagon trains north from Daventry to Scotland each day running into their own sidings. An additional bonus of rail/road  freight for Russell is the ability to get greater productivity from both trucks and drivers by using them for short journeys and double shifting. Mathew Lamb, managing director of the Potter Group says: "With finite capacity in road transport and the pressures of diesel costs and drivers' hours, the multimodal solution is obvious... to get as close to markets as possible for maximum efficiency."

Roadways Container Logistics will shortly announce a high volume multimodal contract to serve a large high-profile retailer, while the Stiller Group has entered into partnership with EWS. Peter Lea, commercial director of O'Connor - the specialist container arm of the Stobart group - finds running trucks over shorter distances at each end of a rail trunk link more profitable, as well as helpful in the recruiting and retention in an age of "family orientated drivers".

Meanwhile, exhibitors at Birmingham reveal a growing desire among customers to publicly demonstrate green  credentials. "Rail is an easy win green policy," observes one delegate. For hauliers, avoiding the charges and delays associated with congestion appear to be as important as reducing emissions.

With southern ports increasingly reaching capacity, either on the quayside or on associated rail and trunk road routes, there is a demonstrable shift of emphasis northwards to grant aided developments such as Teesport and Immingham on the east coast and Weston on the Mersey, currently being developed by Stobart.