RFG calls on Parliamentarians to support rail freight

Rail Freight Group (RFG) today called on parliamentarians to support rail freight as the Railways Bill 2025 has its historic second reading in the House of Commons.

Moving freight by rail supports every person in the UK, moving consumer and retail goods, construction materials for new homes and infrastructure and supporting energy generation for millions of households. Rail freight contributes around £2.5bn to the UK economy each year, and each train keeps around 75 HGVs off the roads, helping reduce road congestion and potholes.

The Railways Bill 2025 contains some important and welcome provisions for rail freight, but also raises concerns, particularly around the future plans for allocating track capacity. RFG has issued a briefing note to all parliamentarians outlining our key concerns, which include:

• The demise of the rail regulator as the body which has grown the railway through incentivising performance, granting new routes, fostering competition and delivering rail growth
• Allowing Great British Railways (GBR), rather than the regulator, to set rules on track access and charging, determine initial appeals and mark its own work to potentially favour the 75% of operators within its stable over the other 25% public and private sector operators
•  Confusion over which of GBR or Government will be the guiding mind with new sweeping powers for the Secretary of State to direct, or give guidance to, GBR
• Powers for Government to intervene over the management and operation of infrastructure and facilities which are not owned by the Government or GBR.

RFG Director General, Maggie Simpson OBE, said: "The success of Great British Railways will depend not on the colour of its logo but on how it supports customers, and enables more goods to move by rail. By making some small changes to the Railways Bill, parliamentarians can help us ensure that the future of our railways works effectively for all users."