High-speed freight

MAGGIE SIMPSON OBE: Director General, Rail Freight Group

The twin challenges of Brexit and COVID loom large as we start the New Year, and across the global freight transport sector the situation remains highly volatile.

Port congestion is prevalent across the world, with container displacement and short-notice changes to shipping schedules adding tension. Businesses and consumers need supply chains to work efficiently, and for Government, the ghost of the ‘toilet roll crisis’ is never far away from its thinking!

This might actually be some good news for rail freight. Customers are looking to rail as an alternative to HGVs, and making more use of regional ports instead of Dover. The private sector freight operators, ports, terminals and suppliers are stepping up to help their customers deliver these new services. To do this, we need the right support from the industry and governments.

The White Paper on rail reform is expected early in the New Year, and we remain concerned that the outcome does not undermine freight growth. There must be a supportive framework for freight, with a strong central focus and sufficient security to underpin private sector investment.

Potential changes to the access framework are particularly concerning, and there must be urgent clarity on the proposals. And change must be effectively managed, to ensure freight operators can spend their time most productively with their customers, rather than on internal industry projects.

We also need capacity on the network, so schemes such as the Trans-Pennine Upgrade remain essential. Making better use of existing paths for longer and heavier trains, and optimised pathing, can also unlock growth at little cost. Finally, this must be the year we get new high-speed services up and running, supporting the online boom that looks set to continue over the year.

2021 looks to be a year where opportunity is there to be taken for the rail freight sector.