Demystifying Rail Freight workshop makes successful debut

The aim of the workshop is to simplify the rail freight industry for new entrants, helping them to overcome any perceived barriers to entry by offering a holistic understanding of the rail freight system, technological innovations and break down the intricacies of rail transportation.

Ultimately, it is hoped that participants will acquire a foundational understanding of the rail freight ecosystem to support the movement of goods onto rail.

Opening remarks by Guy Bates, the Head of Freight Development at Network Rail, reiterated that rail freight has a tiny proportion of overall freight movements. By most metrics, rail commands only about ten per cent of the market. His address emphasised that opportunities for rapid growth exist, and that a low baseline makes even a modest modal shift towards rail a radical improvement.

Jonathan Walker, Logistics UK’s Head of Planning and Infrastructure Policy said: “I think there are certain preconceptions that people bring. The expectation that rail freight is expensive, slow and unreliable is held by those who have not engaged with the industry.

"Conversations like those at the workshop in Waterloo prove otherwise, and although it was a self-selecting group, it has yielded a new cohort of advocates for the rail freight industry.”

Logistics UK's Senior Policy Advisor Ellis Shelton added: "Workshops like this dismantle the myth that rail freight is an insular industry. By mapping the entire journey we’re equipping businesses with the tools to identify where their cargo can transition seamlessly to rail.

"The real breakthrough lies in recognising that even a partial shift, like moving bulk commodities or time-sensitive intermodal loads, can yield immediate carbon and cost efficiencies for newcomers."