Prospects for rail freight from peripheral regions: The case of North-East Scotland and Grampian Country Foods

Abstract It is well known that increasing the use of the railways for moving goods can achieve a number of public policy aims, and that at the same time there are many impediments to this expanded use. Peripheral regions may be particularly attractive for greater use of rail freight, and in this paper we consider the case of these regions, with a particular interest in rail freight development in the north-east of Scotland. We focus on a case study of Grampian Country Foods' operations in this region, as an example of a large shipper of food products in a peripheral region that could benefit from use of rail, under the right conditions. Specific lessons are drawn regarding the various hurdles that lie in the path of expanded use of rail freight for Grampian Country Food Group, as well as a general outline of the investment needed for an effective rail freight service.