Railways Bill must focus on freight, says Logistics UK

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander asserted that the Bill “seizes the opportunities of freight” with the rail freight growth target “at the heart of this Bill”, and that it “will require the Secretary of State to set a freight growth target, and Great British Railways (GBR) will have a duty to have regard to that target when it exercises its statutory functions.”

Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden responded by criticising the lack of provisions on how the rail freight growth target would be achieved, and the lack of focus on growing the rail network, including freight. He also criticised the insufficient oversight of the Secretary of State’s powers which could affect rail freight.

This latter point was echoed by Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Olly Glover MP, who also highlighted the need for protections for rail freight operators, given they will remain in the private sector unlike the nationalised GBR passenger system.

Transport Minister Keir Mather concluded the debate by reinforcing the freight growth target and the statutory duty on GBR to promote rail freight. He added that the sector would also be championed within GBR by a representative on its board with responsibility for freight, something Logistics UK has been calling for.

Minister Keir Mather will now take the Bill through its Committee stage, with that concluding by 12 February.

Logistics UK briefed MPs ahead of the debate on the following:

• Cat Eccles MP (Labour, Stourbridge) stated, “Let us not forget that nothing moves without logistics. Rail freight is the green backbone of that system.” She emphasised the need for safeguards for freight operators to prevent them being squeezed by GBR’s passenger duties. She added that rail electrification is important for unlocking the environmental benefits of rail freight. We have posted on LinkedIn to welcome her comments.

• Ben Goldsborough MP (Labour, South Norfolk) mentioned Ely and Haughley Junctions and how the proposed infrastructure project would unlock freight paths and support modal shift.

• Jayne Kirkham MP (Labour, Truro and Falmouth) welcomed the duty on GBR to promote rail freight and spoke of the opportunity this was for Falmouth docks in her constituency for exports, clean energy and critical minerals among other sectors which would also remove HGVs from unsuitable roads.

• Grahame Morris MP (Labour, Easington) spoke of the “enormous opportunity in rail freight” particularly to the port of Seaham in his constituency and would like to see an increase on the one freight train that comes into the port each week. He suggested a dedicated unit within GBR to work with rail freight businesses to ensure collaboration rather than competition between passenger and freight services.

• Dr Kieran Mullan MP (Conservative, Bexhill and Battle) mentioned that British Gypsum in his constituency is supplied by rail and is important for reducing congestion on the A21, asking how the Secretary of State would deliver the growth target.

• Rebecca Smith MP (Conservative, South West Devon) warned the Bill risked undermining the rail freight sector, mentioning the potential cost to the economy and increase in road congestion which could result. She asked ministers to clarify how the duty for GBR to promote rail freight would operate in practice.

• Martin Vickers MP (Conservative, Brigg and Immingham) and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Rail spoke about the importance of new freight corridors for businesses in his constituency and especially in the area around the port of Immingham which is home to numerous logistics sites.

Logistics UK’s Senior Policy Manager Alexandra Herdman said: “The Railway Bill underscores the crucial role of the rail industry in the nation’s logistics and it is vital that freight growth remains central to this plan.

“The logistics sector must work together to promote rail freight adoption among new businesses, invest in modern facilities and leverage data technology, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach.

“It is also essential that the government supports a sustainable and efficient future for freight by investing in rail infrastructure and does not simply focus on passenger systems.”