UK: not much space for rail freight ahead of COP26 conference

Rail freight has been leading the way for much of the UK drive towards a net-zero carbon economy. However, that lead does not appear to have been rewarded in the government’s new strategy document. The huge 368-page report makes only three direct references to rail freight. Critics say that is a failure to recognise the vital part rail has to play in the future prosperity of the UK. In contrast, others claim it reflects the scale of the climate change challenge, and there are so many imperatives to tackle that decarbonising rail freight is not a vital issue.