Responding to the ORR’s latest statistics on rail freight usage and performance, Andy Bagnall, chief executive of Rail Partners, said:
‘The autumn period is usually the busiest time of year for freight operators as businesses prepare for Christmas and with construction activity in full flow, but these latest ORR figures underline how challenging current market conditions are for the rail freight sector.
‘It is encouraging that the UK government has set a target to grow rail freight by no less than 75% by 2050, but to deliver that target, and secure the well-established economic and environmental benefits of rail freight, it is essential to create the right conditions for growth. Crucially, we must address the widening gap between the cost of moving goods by rail and by road if we want to make rail the mode of choice for prospective freight customers.
