The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has set a 75% growth target for the country’s rail freight market by 2050 as it looks to encourage a modal shift from road to rail, Great British Railways Transition Team’s (GBRTT) express freight development lead told visitors to Sustainable Supply Chain Exhibition 2024.
Speaking at the Sustainable Supply Chain Exhibition Conference Theatre, GBRTT’s Daniel Fredriksson outlined how the target has been set to “provide the sector with certainty” and deliver on commitments made in the DfT’s Plan for Rail and Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
Fredriksson described rail as the “most efficient and environmentally friendly way of transporting many goods”, citing that the mode accounts for “2% of emissions while moving 9% of surface freight”. He then explained how a tonne of freight moved by rail produces around a quarter of the carbon emissions that it would if it were moved by road. “One train could replace up to 129 heavy goods vehicles, easing congestion on our roads,” said Fredriksson.
He also talked about the benefits of inter-urban express freight services, which see fleets of repurposed passenger trains runs overnight services, carrying parcels and palletised goods between Birmingham and Glasgow, as well into London’s Liverpool Street and Euston rail stations.
“It’s a great way to deliver freight into the hearts of our cities,” said Fredriksson. “These disguised trains are 20m long and 2.3m wide, which means significant volumes can be moved in this way, which connects directly to zero-emission, last-mile delivery vehicles, such as e-cargo bikes.
“This means that rail freight will be at the heart of the railway and taken into account when decisions are made.”
Sustainable Supply Chain Exhibition 2024 is open until 4pm today and reopens at 9.30am tomorrow [20 March]. Missed day one and want to attend on day two? Click here to register for your FREE visitor pass.
