§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the average costs per tonne from 1976 to 1987 of(a) a tonne of rail freight and (b) a tonne of road freight.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe only available estimates are from total user expenditure on road and rail freight expressed as an average per tonne lifted. The table shows average expenditure per tonne lifted for road and rail freight in current prices (cash) and in 1987 prices. Such simple expenditure comparisons between road and rail give a misleading picture of the comparable costs of the two modes because of the different types of freight carried services provided. Rail freight consists of mainly bulk commodities; full train loads accounting for over 90 per cent. of tonnes lifted. By comparison, road freight IIS largely concerned with individual loads often of several different commodities for several destinations—bulk loads accounting for about 35 per cent. of tonnes lifted.
Estimates of average expenditure per tonne lifted for road and railfreight—United Kingdom Expenditure (£ cash) per tonne lifted Expenditure (£ 1987 prices1) per tonne lifted Road 2Rail Road 2Rail 1976 6.1 2.3 16.1 6.2 1987 17.2 4.7 17.2 4.7 1 Adjusted by using implicit GDP estimates of deflation. 2 Includes parcels traffic.