Page:The Reshaping of British Railways (Beeching Report).pdf/80



A considerable proportion of the freight carried by rail is dealt with through private sidings and, as in the case of stations, there is a large number through which very little traffic passes.

The tables which follow show the number of loaded wagons forwarded and received during 1960.

Table No. 19

Number of private sidings

Number of wagons

Wagons

Actual

Percentage of total

'000 wagons

Percentage of total

(Figures in brackets are cumulative)

Less than 50 wagons 2,559 43 16 0

50-499 1,245  21 (64)  251  1 (1)

500-2,499 944  16 (80)  1,118  6 (7)

2,500-9,999 624  11 (91)  3,570  20 (27)

10,000-29,999 392  7 (98)  6,814  38 (65)

30,000 wagons and over 130  2 (100)  6,441  35 (100)

5,894 100  18,210  100

It will be seen that 3,804 sidings forwarded only 1 per cent. of the traffic, whereas at the other end of the scale, 130 sidings accounted for 35 per cent.

Table No. 20

Number of wagons

Number of private sidings Wagons

Percentage of total

Actual

Percentage of total

'000 wagons

(Figures in brackets are cumulative)

Less than 50 wagons 2,011  34  18  0

50-499 1,782  30 (64)  373  3 (3)

500-2,499 1,216  21 (85)  1,366  10 (13)

2,500-9,999 601  10 (95)  3,322  23 (36)

10,000-29,999 189  3 (98)  3,056  22 (58)

30,000 wagons and over 95  2 (100)  5,891  42 (100)

5,894 100  14,026  100

The pattern is similar to the forwarded position, 3,793 sidings receiving only 3 per cent. of the wagons, whilst 95 sidings received 42 per cent.