‘Freight isn’t just for Christmas’ says NR Chief Executive at RFG Christmas Lunch
Rail Freight Group (RFG) hosted its hugely popular Christmas Lunch yesterday (10 December) at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, bringing together over 800 members and guests from across the UK rail freight community to celebrate another year of achievement for the sector.
A firm fixture in the rail freight calendar, the lunch once again drew a broad cross-section of the industry, including freight operating companies, customers, ports, terminal operators, suppliers, politicians, officials and supporters of sustainable freight transport. Guests enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with colleagues, build new connections and reflect on a year that has brought both challenges and opportunities for rail freight.
RFG was delighted to welcome Jeremy Westlake, Chief Executive of Network Rail, as guest of honour. In his keynote speech, he underlined the essential contribution that rail freight makes to the UK economy and environment, and the crucial role it will play in the reformed railway under Great British Railways (GBR).
“Freight isn’t just for Christmas – it operates 24/7, 365 days a year,” he said. “It plays a critical role in keeping Britain supplied, from gifts and food to fuel. Freight delivers economic and environmental value. It contributes £2.5 billion annually, with 90% of benefits outside London and the South East,” he added. “When freight thrives, the country thrives.”
Jeremy welcomed the provisions in the Railways Bill, which give GBR a statutory duty to promote freight and establish new access and charging frameworks designed to give operators greater certainty and fairness, supporting the Government’s commitment to 75% growth by 2050.
Reflecting on a year of innovation and progress, he noted that 17 applications have been approved under the Access Charges Discount Policy, unlocking around 108 new freight flows each week. New initiatives such as Digital Freight Load Books are improving safety and efficiency, while growth boards and additional capacity on corridors such as Essex Thameside demonstrate proactive planning for future demand.
He concluded with a call to action for continued collaboration between industry, government and customers.
“Rail freight benefits everyone, from the food on our tables and the parcels on our doorsteps to the energy that powers our homes and the materials that build our infrastructure. To unlock its full potential, we must maintain investment and partnership to accelerate the shift from road to rail,” he said.
In her welcome address, Maggie Simpson OBE, RFG Director General, paid tribute to the way the industry has worked together through another demanding year.
She highlighted the sector’s rapid and coordinated response to major shipping line changes in the spring, which saw around a dozen services re-timetabled in just three months, supporting continued growth in intermodal traffic while maintaining performance.
A strong voice for rail freight
Maggie also commended members for their strong, united voice on rail reform, noting the sector’s engagement with consultations, events and political outreach.
She said: “The draft Railways Bill now sets a strong framework for freight within Great British Railways, and that is down to your actions. There is still plenty more yet to do to ensure reform is fit for purpose, but for now, thank you.”
She pointed to encouraging developments in low-carbon fuels and new markets, including test trains conveying hydrogen in containers from Doncaster and the imminent arrival of the UK’s first hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive for a customer, demonstrating how rail freight can support the emerging carbon capture and hydrogen economy.
Maggie also celebrated the arrival of the new Class 99 locomotives into the UK, describing them as “a game-changer for our sector”.
A special tribute was paid to Yvonne Mulder, RFG Project Manager, who retires from RFG at the end of the month and will be greatly missed, particularly for her contribution to RFG Forums and the RFG Awards. Guests heard that Yvonne plans to spend more time travelling, having recently visited Qatar to complete her personal challenge of visiting a country for every letter of the alphabet.
RFG Chair Chris Swan also addressed guests, thanking Yvonne, the RFG team and Board members for their support over the year. He acknowledged that 2025 has been one of the most difficult years in living memory for the construction sector, yet rail freight serving construction has continued to perform strongly compared to the wider building market.
Looking ahead to 2026, Chris recognised that economic indicators remain challenging but emphasised the scale of opportunity for rail freight in supporting major national projects, including new green energy infrastructure, water schemes and reservoirs, and major road and rail developments such as the Lower Thames Crossing and East West Rail, as well as more unexpected projects such as theme parks.
As always, the event also provided an opportunity to support a good cause.
Thanks to the generosity of attendees, including through the champagne raffle and scratch cards, the lunch raised over £6,000 for the Railway Benefit Fund, which helps railway people and their families in times of need. RFG thanked everyone who donated and congratulated the winners of the raffle and scratch card prizes.
RFG would also like to thank its sponsors, VTG Rail UK and Associated British Ports, for their generous support of this year’s Christmas Lunch.