Written Question · S2W-10857 · Session 2
What the criteria are for granting a company a rail freight subsidy for transferring from road to rail and how long such subsidies last.
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for granting a company a rail freight subsidy for transferring from road to rail and how long such subsidies last.
The answer
The following rail freightgrant schemes operate in Scotland
- the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG), Track AccessGrant (TAG) and Company Neutral Revenue Support (CNRS) Grant schemes. These grantsare available to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail wherewithout grant support the freight would be transported by road because the railoption is more costly. All are limited to the level of environmental benefits generatedby using rail rather than road. The FFG scheme helps with the upfront capitalcosts of becoming linked to rail. TAG helps with the Track Access Charges madeby Network Rail for, mostly, bulk commodities such as timber. CNRS provideshelp with the operating costs of transferring inter-modal containers by rail. Copiesof the guidance for applicants are available in the Parliament’s referencecentre (Bib. numbers 33921, 33922 and 33923).
FFG is paid to applicantsonce they have incurred capital expenditure. The grants are based on rail beingused for an agreed number of years, normally between three and ten, and aremonitored for that set period. TAG and CNRS awards are normally limited tothree years but may be extended.
- the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG), Track AccessGrant (TAG) and Company Neutral Revenue Support (CNRS) Grant schemes. These grantsare available to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail wherewithout grant support the freight would be transported by road because the railoption is more costly. All are limited to the level of environmental benefits generatedby using rail rather than road. The FFG scheme helps with the upfront capitalcosts of becoming linked to rail. TAG helps with the Track Access Charges madeby Network Rail for, mostly, bulk commodities such as timber. CNRS provideshelp with the operating costs of transferring inter-modal containers by rail. Copiesof the guidance for applicants are available in the Parliament’s referencecentre (Bib. numbers 33921, 33922 and 33923).
FFG is paid to applicantsonce they have incurred capital expenditure. The grants are based on rail beingused for an agreed number of years, normally between three and ten, and aremonitored for that set period. TAG and CNRS awards are normally limited tothree years but may be extended.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S2W-10857 by reference.