Train
operators
are
calling
for
the
volume
of
freight
carried
by
rail
to
be
trebled
by
2050.

The
call
has
come
from
Rail
Partners,
which
is
a
successor
to
the
Rail
Delivery
Group
and
lobbies
on
behalf
of
the
operators
for
the
greatest
possible
amount
of
commercial
freedom,
now
that
franchises
have
been
abolished.

Rail
Partners
says
it
exists
to
‘make
the
railway
better
by
harnessing
the
expertise
and
creativity
of
private
sector
operators
for
the
benefit
of
those
who
use
the
railway
and
those
who
pay
for
it,
including
taxpayers’,
and
is
responding
to
the
call
for
evidence
from
the
Great
British
Railways
Transition
Team
about
targets
for
rail
freight
growth.

Its
director
of
policy
John
Thomas
says:
‘As
we
look
to
the
reform
of
our
railway,
we
cannot
afford
to
underplay
or
leave
to
chance
the
opportunity
to
grow
this
sector.
We
must
be
ambitious
and
capture
the
demand
we
know
exists
and
in
doing
so
support
net
zero
ambitions
and
spread
economic
benefits
throughout
the
country.

‘There
has
been
a
subtle
but
important
policy
shift
towards
the
sector
in
recent
years,
compounded
by
Brexit,
the
pandemic
and
in
light
of
the
legislative
commitment
to
achieve
net
zero
carbon
emissions
by
2050.

‘The
market
itself
is
also
responding
as
customers
look
for
low
carbon
routes.
This
is
most
notable
in
the
tone
and
content
of
the
Plan
for
Rail,
published
in
May
2021
which
our
members
welcomed.
In
particular
it
commended
freight
operators
for
the
resilience
they
demonstrated
during
the
pandemic
to
ensure
that
key
freight
flows
were
maintained,
and
the
significant
agility
that
rail
freight,
as
a
largely
private
sector
industry,
has
shown
in
responding
to
changing
customer
demands.’

He
adds
that
a
‘relatively
small’
amount
of
public
support
is
needed:
‘We
want
to
see
a
wider
use
of
incentives
to
help
make
rail
the
mode
of
choice
for
potential
customers.
An
example
is
the
Mode
Shift
Revenue
Support
grant,
which
has
been
successful
in
attracting
price
sensitive
container
traffic
to
rail
from
road.’