RFG welcomes Government commitment to rail freight

Rail Freight Group responds to today’s announcement on the establishment of Shadow Great British Railways

THE Rail Freight Group (RFG) has welcomed the commitment to rail freight in today’s announcement by the Government on the establishment of Shadow Great British Railways, which sees Transport Secretary Louise Haigh firing the starting gun on rail reform – ushering in a new era for British railways which aims to put passengers first.

Today’s launch of Shadow Great British Railways (Shadow GBR) will set in motion a huge overhaul of the running of the rail network, bringing together leaders from the Department for Transport, Network Rail, and publicly owned operators.

Shadow GBR will pave the way for Great British Railways (GBR) – a new unified arm’s length body responsible for bringing track and train back together and overseeing both services and infrastructure.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: ‘Establishing Shadow Great British Railways marks a significant step towards delivering a unified railway with passengers at its heart by bringing together track and train, and by progressing the Passenger Railways Services Bill we’re one step closer to public ownership which will help put our railways back on track.

‘This government will direct every penny into creating a stronger, more reliable rail network that works for everyone.’

Whilst GBR will put passengers back at the heart of the railways and introduce new measures to protect their interests, there will also be a statutory duty on GBR to promote the use of rail freight, alongside an overall growth target set by the Secretary of State. The Government will include safeguards to ensure that freight operators continue to receive fair access to the network.

Commenting on the announcement, Rail Freight Group (RFG) director general Maggie Simpson OBE said: ‘The establishment of Shadow Great British Railways marks an important step in rail reform, and we welcome the commitment to rail freight in the Government’s statement. This includes measures to deliver improvements for freight users, a statutory duty to promote rail freight, and a growth target to be set by the Secretary of State.

‘Businesses across the UK that use rail freight as an essential part of their supply chains will welcome this assurance. In particular, freight users need certainty that there will be long-term capacity guaranteed on the network for freight, at an affordable price, and that private sector investment will be encouraged in support of growth.’