Speedlink

In the late 1960s British Rail (BR) was loss making and government supported; government and British Rail management sought solutions and remedies to the problem of the declining wagonload business; in 1968 a 'Freight Plan' committed the company to continuing wagonload traffic; the possibility of reducing the scope of the freight network was investigated, and computer modelling and computer route planning was introduced to seek increased efficiency. Additionally BR began operating a relatively high speed freight service (Bristol to Glasgow) using air braked wagons in 1972,{{#tag:ref|The airbraked wagons could operate at up to 75mph, compared to 45mph for unbraked wagons.|group="note"}} a forerunner of the Speedlink service.T. R. Gourvish (2011), British Railways 1948-73, pp.501-504 Further air braked freight services were introduced in the early 1970s, and an investment in 650 wagons was sought.

During the 1970s, BR substantially reduced its rolling stock and infrastructure for wagonload traffic and total wagon numbers were reduced to 137,000 in 1979 from over 400,000 in 1968; from 1973 to 1979, a third of the system's marshalling yards were closed, and freight depots were reduced by nearly one fifth; in the same period total air braked wagons nearly doubled in number.T.R. Gourvish (2002), British rail, 1974-97, p.79; Table 3.9, p.80

By 1977, the 1972 air-braked train service pilot had increased to 29 trains per day. The Speedlink service was formally launched in September 1977.{{citation| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=rj7TrpWFVjQC|title = New Scientist| date = 22 September 1977|issn=0262-4079| volume = 75| number = 1070| chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rj7TrpWFVjQC&pg=PA731|page = 731| chapter = British Rail's waqon trains roll again}}{{#tag:ref|A much more advanced proposal (1976) also named 'Speedlink' utilising "Freight multiple units", 20 major depots with automated sorting systems and 200 minor depots with gravity unloading system using roller conveyors was not funded.{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=js6Tm93NSLoC| title = New Scientist| issn = 0262-4079| volume =72| number = 1030| date = 9 December 1976|author = Joseph Hanlon| pages = 596–7|chapter = British Rail says 'Cheaper by road'| chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=js6Tm93NSLoC&pg=PA598}}|group="note"}}

The Speedlink system was more restrictive than a traditional wagonload service utilising marshalling yards, but used fixed timetables between a more limited number of destinations — the resulting service was faster, with higher reliability on delivery times.{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tMcOAAAAQAAJ| title = Physical distribution systems| author = Alan C. McKinnon| publisher = Routlegde| year =1989|page =164| isbn = 9780415030281}} In 1984, Speedlink was running 150 trunk services per day, with a peak 8 million tonnes carried per year, with two dozen main and secondary distribution sites with around 800 potential sidings as destinations — it was claimed (1983) that the service was profitable.{{#tag:ref|This is believed to have been an accounting trick whereby Speedlink claimed an income based on charging other BR operating companies the full rate for transporting goods regardless of the actual income from the services.|group="note"}}

In 1988, the Speedlink service became part of a new BR operating sector, Railfreight Distribution (RfD) together with Freightliner, BR's intermodal container carrying rail freight subsidiary.{{citation| url = http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/2473/|title = Rail Privatisation in Britain - lessons for the rail freight industry| author = A.S. Fowkes| author2 = C.A. Nash|year = 2004| publisher = White Rose university consortium|work = European Conference of Ministers of Transport, round table 125| at = B2. Wagonload traffic, pp.4-5}} The merger was hoped to bring in further business through business synergies between the two subsidiaries.{{citation| url = http://www.adamsmith.org/sites/default/files/images/uploads/publications/track-to-the-future.pdf| at = sections 1.2, 2.2| title = Track to the Future| author = Kenneth Irvine|work = www.adamsmith.org|publisher = Adam Smith Institute| year =1988}} Minor differences in the braking systems used by the two companies prevented train operating economies being realised.

The future of the company was under question throughout the 1980s; one reason for retaining the service was a potential increase in traffic after the opening of the Channel Tunnel.{{#tag:ref|SNCF operated a large amount of wagonload traffic; additionally BR's contract to use the tunnel was a fixed annual charge, there was an understanding between SNCF and BR on cross channel freight, estimate to be over 5 million tonnes pa in 1995 after a 1993 opening.T.R. Gourvish (2002), British rail, 1974-97, p.284|group="note"}} Attempts to make Speedlink break even by 1992/3 were stymied by the early 1990s recession, as in 1989/90 the company lost £28 million, with revenue of £42 million; a review of operations had shown "trainload" freight to be profitable only on journeys of over 500 miles, with substantial loadings (10 wagons per day).T.R. Gourvish (2002), British rail, 1974-97, pp.284-5 The Conservative governments first elected in 1979, in power throughout the period (see Thatcher ministry and First Major ministry), sought improved financial performance of BR which was in contrast to the extensive public subsidy provided by earlier Labour governments.{{citation| title=The atlas of British railway history| author = Michael Freeman|author2 = Derek H. Aldcroft| publisher = Croom Helm / Routledge | year = 1985 |pages = 24–5}}

Attempts to convert British Rail into a wholly commercially viable business prior to privatisation came to an end as The Speedlink service closed down in 1991.{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-5YOAAAAQAAJ| title = Public enterprise in transition: industrial relations in state and privatized corporations| editor = Andrew Pendleton| editor2 = Jonathan Winterton| publisher = Routledge| year = 1993 |pages = 51, 223}} It had received state grants of £69 million during its existence,{{citation| url =https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1991/jan/23/speedlink| title=Speedlink

| work = Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)| volume = 184|at = c183W| date= 23 January 1991}} and at closure was carrying approximately 3 million tonnes of freight per year, at a loss of over £30 million pa on revenue of £45 million.{{citation| url =https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1991/jun/06/speedlink| title=Speedlink| work = Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)| at = c278W|volume = 192| date=6 June 1991 }} After closure, approximately 70% of the freight carried was initially retained by BR, representing 125 trains per day;{{citation| url =https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1991/jul/08/speedlink| title=Speedlink| work = Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)| at =c289W| volume =194 | date= 8 July 1991}} any freight viable as trainload services operated by the division were transferred to British Rail's regional trainload sectors Mainline Freight, Loadhaul, and Transrail Freight.{{citation| url = http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc9899/hc02/0280/0280.pdf| at = Fig.4, p.13| title = The Sale of Railfreight Distribution| date = 26 March 1999| publisher = National Audit Office| url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120320150938/http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc9899/hc02/0280/0280.pdf| archive-date = 20 March 2012| df = dmy-all}}

After the end of the Speedlink service in 1991, a number of services were initiated in attempts to serve the potential wagonload rail freight market:

Railfreight Distribution (RfD) established a wagonload service for cross-channel tunnel freight, named Connectrail; the operations of this business were incorporated into EWS after it acquired RfD in 1997, and merged it into its 'Enterprise' service.Sources:

• {{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hFDrKNKmJ8UC| title = The dynamics of freight transport development: a UK and Swiss comparison| author =Philippe Thalmann| publisher = Ashgate Publishing| year = 2004|page = 35}}
• {{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=whpWAAAAMAAJ|title = The Railway magazine| volume = 152| publisher = IPC Business Press| year = 2006| page = 21|quote = EWS integrated RfD's European wagonload services, marketed as Connectrail into its Enterprise wagonload network}}

A road-rail intermodal service Charterail was established in 1990 to serve potential customers post Speedlink using piggyback wagons from Tiphook. The company went into liquidation in 1992, claiming high locomotive haulage rates made the enterprise unsustainable.

Sources:

• {{citation| url = http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/408473/UK-Transport-distribution---green-scene-1-2/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH| title = UK: Transport and distribution - The green scene| date = 1 July 199| work = www.managementtoday.co.uk| author = Joyce Dundas| quote = ...Charterail, a joint venture between the private sector and British Rail [..] Charterail is attempting to fill part of the gap left after the demise of BR's Speedlink service...}}
• {{citation| url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/br-rates-blamed-for-derailing-charterail-1542974.html| work = www.independent.co.uk| title = BR rates blamed for derailing Charterail| date = 28 August 1992| publisher = The Independent}}
• {{citation| url =https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/final-effort-made-to-save-charterail-1542735.html| title =Final effort made to save Charterail| author =Michael Harrison| date =27 August 1992| work =www.independent.co.uk| publisher =The Independent}}
• {{citation| url = http://business.highbeam.com/438340/article-1G1-11164798/bimodal-service-debuts-britain| title = Bimodal service debuts in Britain. (Charterail uses Piggyback bimodal system to distribute Pedigree Petfoods's products)| journal = Container News| date = 1 May 1991| author = Tony Carding| access-date = 11 March 2012| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130125064544/http://business.highbeam.com/438340/article-1G1-11164798/bimodal-service-debuts-britain| archive-date = 25 January 2013| url-status=dead| df = dmy-all}}

In the BR privatisation transitional period (1994-1996), Transrail Freight started a long-distance service named 'Enterprise'; the service continued operations after the company became part of English Welsh & Scottish as 'EWS Enterprise'.

{{reflist|group="note"}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_HaaS3Q7jAcC| title = British Railways 1948-73: A Business History| author = T.R. Gourvish| publisher = Cambridge University Press| year =2011| isbn = 9780521264808}}
• {{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YBFvP6h8wr8C| title = British rail, 1974-97: from integration to privatisation | author = T.R. Gourvish| publisher = Oxford University Press| year = 2002| isbn = 978-0-19-925005-9 }}

• {{cite magazine|title=Speedlink: The Way Ahead|first=Peter|last=Barlow|magazine=Rail Enthusiast|publisher=EMAP National Publications|date=February 1986|issue=53|pages=36–39|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}

• {{citation| url =http://www.humberstone-garley.co.uk/TP_Movie_Display.php?filmID=Item/22-09-09_16-53-55/BRB.flv&titleID=British%20Rail%20-%20Speedlink%20Distribution%20-%201984&recID=28&#prog_12| title = British Rail - Speedlink Distribution - 1984|publisher = Humberstone Garley| work= www.humberstone-garley.co.uk|year = 1984}}, computer-animated corporate commercial
• {{citation| url = http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg/7-fops/fo-abn.htm| title = Air Braked Network, Speedlink and Enterprise wagon load services| author = Mike Smith|work =myweb.tiscali.co.uk}}

{{British Rail}}

{{British freight operators}}

Category:British Rail freight services

Category:British Rail subsidiaries and divisions

Category:British Rail brands