Lord Berkeleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What criteria are considered by the Ministry of Defence in deciding whether road or rail transport is used for the movement of military equipment within the United Kingdom. [HL2582]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)In some cases the mode of transport used may be predetermined to provide training in a particular method of transportation, especially in the case of practising rail movement for deployment. Apart from these, each request for transport is judged on its own merits. Factors considered include: the ability to achieve the required delivery date; the size of the load; the suitability and location of railheads; security and public safety considerations. An assessment is also made of extra effort caused by double-handling at road-rail interfaces and "out-of-gauge" operating considerations. Unless there are overriding reasons to use either road or rail, then the solution which offers the best value for money is normally selected.