UK: The rail industry has welcomed the government’s announcement of ‘a top-level ambition’ to grow freight tonne-km by at least 75% by 2050, but says more work is needed to identify actions implement this.
The target announced by Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper on December 20 has been set following consultation with industry leaders, customers and other stakeholders by the Great British Railways Transition Team. This developed a number of options for ministers.
The consultation found that the industry felt that a target would help to rally the sector and bring private and public organisations together to unlock latent demand. Many respondents acknowledged that a target alone cannot deliver growth, and further actions and accountability mechanisms will be needed.
GBRTT’s recently formed Strategic Freight Unit will ‘spearhead’ strategic leadership in the freight sector.
‘We now need to develop plans and actions with the industry to support the delivery of rail freight growth, embed the target in future funding settlements and decision making, as well as identify and unlock new market opportunities to grow rail freight’, said Richard Moody, GBRTT Programme Director for Freight Reform.
Director General of the Rail Freight Group Maggie Simpson said the target ‘sends a strong message of support for rail freight from government’. She said ‘such an ambitious increase will require continued investment by government into capacity upgrades across the network, however, and we look forward to further commitments to give rail freight the help it needs to achieve its new growth target.’
Rail Partners CEO Andy Bagnall said ‘if rail freight simply maintained its market share, that would mean 60% growth by 2050. So, the sector will now continue to work with government to put in place the policies needed to achieve, and exceed, the target — essential if the UK is to decarbonise logistics supply chains and meet its net zero goals.’
Tim Shoveller, UK/Europe CEO at Freightliner’s parent company Genesee & Wyoming, said ’we look forward to working with government and the wider industry in unlocking the policies that will ensure that the target is a floor and not a ceiling. Setting the target is the easy part, it is now crucial that we maintain the momentum by establishing a clear policy framework.’
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said that the target ‘means nothing if at the same time the government is cutting vital rail infrastructure projects such as the Northern leg of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail which would provide the desperately needed extra capacity’.
