The UK government has announced a new interim target for rail freight growth, alongside its existing longer-term goal, in a statement to the House of Commons on September 8 by transport secretary Heidi Alexander.
The government previously committed to a target of at least a 75% increase in freight moved by rail, measured in net metric ton kilometers, by 2050. Alexander announced an additional milestone target of at least a 40% increase by 2040.
The statement also set out expectations for growth across specific commodity types by 2040, including a 65% increase in high-value goods, a 45% increase in construction goods, and a 7% increase in critical goods, all measured in net metric ton kilometers.
According to the government, meeting the 2040 target would increase the value of goods moved by rail freight from £33.7bn (US$45.5bn) to £49.5bn (US$66.9bn), and would save an estimated one million metric tons of CO2 per year compared with moving the same freight by road.
Alexander said the new target reflects the government’s “ambition for the sector” as well as its commitment to improving supply chain resilience, economic growth and decarbonizing our logistics sector”.
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