The
amount
of
freight


carried
by
train
over
the
past
year
to
31
March
has
remained
largely
stable,
and
the
latest
figures
show
that
the
industry
has
failed
to
attract
more
traffic
of
most
types.

The
exceptions
which
have
increased
are
construction
materials,
food
and
drink,
and
some
domestic intermodal
movements,
which
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
dubs
‘non-maritime’.

Types
of
cargo
in
decline
in
over
the
past
12
months
include
coal,
domestic
waste,
industrial
minerals,
metals,
oil
and
biomass.

The
total
of
freight
moved
was
15.76
net
tonne/km,
compared
with
15.73
net
tonne/km
in
2022-23.

These
figures
show
little
change
from
the
early
1980s,
when
the
total
for
1982-83
was
16.6
net
tonne/km,
and
less
than
the
more
recent
peak
ten
years
ago,
when
it
reached
22.70
net
tonne/km. 

However,
the
1982-83
total
included
5.9
net
tonne/km
of
coal,
while
coal
movements
last
year
amounted
to
less
than
0.1
net
tonne/km.

The
lack
of
significant
improvement
in
the
total
amount
of
rail
freight
is
a
result
of
‘wider
economic
conditions’,
according
to
the
private
sector
rail
lobby
group
Rail
Partners.

Rail
Partners
director
of
policy
Robert
Girgis
said:
‘Despite
the
wide
consensus
on
the
importance
of
rail
freight
growth,
now
backed
by
the
government’s
commitment
to
a
long-term
growth
target,
this
data
shows
consistent
freight
growth
won’t
happen
on
its
own.

‘Freight
companies
continue
to
invest
and
innovate
to
deliver
for
customers
even
within
this
challenging
context,
but
to
ensure
we
fully
realise
the
low-carbon
and
economic
benefits
of
rail
freight,
it
is
essential
to
create
the
right
conditions
for
growth.
That
means
a
level
playing
field
between
different
modes
of
transport
so
that
freight
customers
can
make
the
right
decision
for
both
their
business
and
the
environment.’