- government sets new target to increase rail freight by at
least 40% by 2040, putting the industry on track for 75% growth
by 2050
- Great British Railways will be tasked with growing rail
freight by record amounts to back British businesses moving more
goods and supporting economic growth
- meeting the target could mean around £15 billion more goods
moved by rail each year
Today (8 September 2026), the government has unveiled its vision
for Great British Railways to back British businesses, strengthen
supply chains and drive economic growth, with a new target to
increase rail freight by at least 40% by 2040.
The target is the first milestone towards the government's
ambition of increasing rail freight by at least 75% by 2050,
giving industry the confidence to invest while ensuring Great
British Railways plays a central role in delivering growth across
the country.
Rail freight already carries goods worth almost £34 billion each
year to the UK's economy. Meeting the new target would increase
this figure by around £15 billion, helping businesses move more
products across Britain, strengthening supply chains and
supporting growth.
A single freight train can carry enough materials to build around
30 homes. Network Rail estimates the new targets could increase
rail freight of construction materials by 45% and boost the
movement of goods like cars, wine, white goods and medicine by
around two-thirds.
Transport Secretary, , said:
Great British Railways will have a clear mission to help grow our
economy by moving more of the goods British businesses rely on.
Our new target gives the rail freight industry the certainty it
needs to invest, helping businesses move more products, deliver
the materials needed to build new homes and infrastructure and
support jobs across the country.
Rail freight helps businesses move goods efficiently across
Britain, eases pressure on the road network and produces
significantly less carbon than moving the same freight by road.
Meeting the new target could save up to one million tonnes of
carbon dioxide every year compared with transporting the same
goods by road.
The Railways Bill, which
establishes Great British Railways, begins its committee stage in
the House of Lords today. The bill will give Great British
Railways the powers it needs to deliver on the new freight
target, including strategic oversight of network access and 2
clear duties to support freight growth.
A dedicated member of the Great British Railways board will also
have responsibility for freight, ensuring the needs of freight
operators and the businesses they serve are embedded in
decision-making from the outset.
These changes will help Great British Railways work more closely
with freight operators to unlock additional capacity on the
network, support investment, strengthen supply chains and help
drive economic growth across Britain.
Jeremy Westlake, Network Rail's Chief Executive, said:
Rail freight is a vital part of our transport network and the UK
economy, moving millions of tonnes of goods every day putting
food on our supermarket shelves, delivering the materials that
build our homes and critical infrastructure and much more
besides.
Increasing the role of freight on the railway is not just good
for economic growth; it reduces congestion on our roads, cuts
carbon emissions and supports our ambition to build a cleaner,
more resilient transport system. We fully support the
government's target, which sets a clear direction of travel and
rightly demonstrates just how critical the role of rail freight
is and we will continue to work with partners to make this
ambition a reality.
Maggie Simpson OBE, Director
General, Rail Freight Group said:
We welcome this announcement as a further signal of government's
commitment to growing rail freight.
There are huge opportunities for moving more goods by rail and
the sector stands ready to fulfil government's bold targets for
growth, making an even stronger contribution to the nation's
productivity, development and resilience.
