Category: News

GB Railfreight has expressed its delight and relief that the high-speed line from London to Birmingham received the go-ahead this morning following the publication of the Oakervee Review.

HS2, which was green-lighted in a statement to the House of Commons by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, following a meeting of the Cabinet, will begin construction in the coming weeks, over a decade after it was originally proposed.

GB Railfreight, one of the fastest growing companies in the railway sector, has been preparing to support construction logistics, including removing spoil and waste, and delivering inbound materials.

The Prime Minister’s announcement was followed by the publication of the Government-commissioned Oakervee Review into HS2, which concluded that “on balance Ministers should proceed” with the project as the “original rationale for HS2 still holds”.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, who submitted a response to the Oakervee Review, said:

“I am delighted and relieved the Government has given the green light to the project. HS2 will be the first new railway constructed north of London for over a century, creating much needed capacity and connections across the North and Midlands. There is no other viable alternative to the project, as both the Oakervee Review and the Prime Minister have acknowledged.

 “By signing off on the scheme, the Government has committed to expanding capacity beyond just passenger services. The decision will free up extra capacity on the West Coast Mainline which will help the growth of rail freight, supporting economic growth across the UK and helping the delivery of the Government’s targets to decarbonise the economy by supporting the shift of freight from road to more sustainable rail services.

 “Delivering HS2 will, in the long term, support the UK’s regional cities and towns to prosper and connect to other surrounding areas. I applaud the Prime Minister for making the right decision rather than delay any further.”

GB Railfreight are thrilled to confirm that in December 2019 it resumed services from Cricklewood to Calvert.

The rail freight operator is operating services five times a week between S Walsh and Sons waste transfer station, off Brent Terrace at Cricklewood, to FCC Environment’s landfill site in Buckinghamshire, transporting building and construction waste.

The trains carry around 1,500 tonnes of soil and rubble from major projects such as the Brent Cross redevelopment and preliminary works being undertaken for the construction of HS2. Since Cricklewood opened in 2015, more than 1 million metric tonnes of building and construction waste has been moved out of London by rail from what was previously known as the North London Soils Hub.

The contract will also ensure fewer journeys are made on roads as construction waste will be easily removed by GBRf trains. This will contribute to reducing carbon emissions, especially with the Government’s stated aim of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

GBRf are committed to increasing the amount of goods and materials transported via rail freight, reducing emissions and delivering a more sustainable logistics solution. An average freight train removes 80 HGV journeys from roads every day. They already move 40 per cent of all construction material into London, and there is the potential for this to grow, reducing lorry miles on the capital’s roads.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

“We are delighted to have recommenced services from Cricklewood. We look forward to working with S Walsh and Sons in the future to build a successful partnership.

 “This contract is also an important step towards reducing traffic in London and, by extension, improving air quality in the capital. These services provide a vital alternative to road transport and each one removes circa 60 lorries from London’s roads. This is even more important in the context of reducing carbon emissions if we are to reach the Government’s ambitious net zero target by 2050, and we at GBRf are delighted to be able to play our part.”

GB Railfreight is calling for the Government to approve the construction of HS2 and to focus on the long-term benefits the project will deliver to not just the North, but for the country and the economy as a whole.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, the UK’s biggest rail freight operating companies, including GB Railfreight, have called for the Government to commit to high-speed rail and finally green light the project, a whole decade after it was originally proposed.

The letter also highlights the importance of rail freight in tackling climate change. With the Government committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and hosting the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow later this year, HS2 represents a unique opportunity to decarbonise much of the transport network.

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, and a signatory of the open letter, said:

“Cancelling HS2 would result in the loss of jobs, investment and faith in the deliverability of large-scale infrastructure projects. Regional connectivity needs to be fully supported and it is especially important for the rail freight sector, as it helps unlock routes and opportunities for businesses to choose rail over road freight.”

“Delivering HS2 will, in the long term, support the UK’s regional cities and towns to prosper and connect to other surrounding areas. The Government should move quickly to green light the project rather than delay even further.”

With the future of HS2 to be decided next month, GB Railfreight Managing Director John Smith is urging both Government and industry to focus on the long-term benefits the project will deliver to not just the North, but for a cross section of UK businesses.

It has taken ten years of expert design and development, Parliamentary scrutiny, and public consultation to get to this point. Delivering such a large and crucial infrastructure scheme is no easy feat.

Commenting on the National Audit Office’s progress update, published today (Friday 24 January), John Smith said: “Cancelling HS2 would result in the loss of jobs, investment and faith in the deliverability of large-scale infrastructure projects.

 “Regional connectivity needs to be fully supported and it is especially important for the rail freight sector, as it helps unlock routes and opportunities for businesses to choose rail over road freight.”

HS2 will be the first new railway constructed north of London for over a century, creating much needed capacity and connections across the North and Midlands. For GBRf there is no other viable alternative to the project.

Smith said: “If the Government takes the decision to pull the plug on HS2 now it will have a considerable negative impact on UK construction firms; the construction industry; young people starting their careers in construction and on the railways; and for rail freight which provides sustainable transport logistics.”

Businesses across the UK have delivered significant investment in preparation for work on the HS2 to start. Nearly 2,000 business have worked on the project and 9,000 people are already employed directly or indirectly by the scheme.

GB Railfreight employs over 900 people across the UK with a major centre of operations in Doncaster, and has been preparing to support construction logistics, including removing spoil and waste, and delivering inbound materials

John Smith added:  “Many young people have made education and career choices around work starting on the scheme soon, opting to studying at the National College for Advanced Transport & Infrastructure in Doncaster and Birmingham in the expectation of doing their bit to deliver the UK’s most ambitious infrastructure project for a generation.

“While some critics are pushing for investment to be diverted to local commuter routes, without HS2 there won’t be the additional employment opportunities and business investment.

 “Delivering HS2 will, in the long term, support the UK’s regional cities and towns to prosper and connect to other surrounding areas. The Government should move quickly to green light the project rather than delay even further.”

GB Railfreight is delighted to announce the appointment of James Cooper as Chairman. James commenced his new role on 29 November 2019.

James has had a prestigious career spanning the infrastructure and financial services industries. Most recently James served as Chief Executive of Associated British Ports. Prior to this James has also been Chief Executive and Chairman of Red Funnel Ferries and has served in leading roles within Infracapital, BNP Paribas, and Hambros Bank. He brings considerable knowledge across a broad range of industries complementary to the GB Railfreight business and will be a valuable addition to an already strong and experienced senior leadership team.

In September 2019, GBRf announced Infracapital’s new ownership of the company and James’s appointment highlights the business’s commitment to future growth and continuing to deliver a reliable and high-quality service for customers.

This appointment marks a very exciting time for GBRf who have a turnover in excess of £200 million a year and operate over 1,000 trainloads a week, moving approximately 23% of the UK’s rail cargo.

John Smith, GBRf Managing Director, and James will be working closely to ensure continued growth in freight, as the business makes a concerted effort to prioritise growth in the intermodal market and other key sectors as businesses look to more sustainable logistics solution.

John Smith, Managing Director GBRf, said:

“I am thrilled James is joining the GBRf family. As a business, we have entered an exciting time and James’s wealth of experience will help us meet and exceed our ambitious growth plans. The industry continues to evolve and innovate, and James is best placed to lead us into the future of rail freight.”

 James Cooper said:

 “I am delighted to be joining the Board of GBRf. The company has an outstanding reputation in the sector and as GBRf enters a new chapter focusing on ambitious growth plans, I look forward to contributing to the business’s success.” 

Ed Clarke, Managing Director at Infracapital, said:

“We at Infracapital welcome James to GBRf. His breadth of experience across the wider infrastructure sector will complement and support GB Railfreight’s existing wealth of management expertise. We look forward to working closely together to achieve the sustainable growth ambitions of this exciting business.”