Freight sector mentoring launched by UK industry body
The Rail Freight Group, the industry association representing the sector at large, has launched a mentoring programme designed to build skills in the rail freight sector. The Cross Member Mentoring Scheme aims to help develop...Read more
UK rail operators can handle more freight than they do today
Freight train operators in Great Britain can safely haul more goods wagons per train than current regulations allow. This is the conclusion of Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB). The question is how much additional...Read more
Great British Railways can provide more private sector involvement
In just over a year, a new body will take on responsibility for much of the running of Britain’s railways. The chief executive of the Rail Freight Group, Maggie Simpson, believes that bringing the rail...Read more
UK strike threat draws concern from industry and public
Freight traffic coming to a halt would place a severe strain on the UK economy and possibly send the recovery of the rail industry crashing off the tracks. These are among the views expressed during...Read more
Simpson sees bi-mode locomotives as the start of a UK revolution
Regardless of fuel supply, full line speed freight is the dawn of a new era for British Rail freight. Maggie Simpson, the director general of the Rail Freight Group, has welcomed the recently announced arrival...Read more
UK: West Midlands construction industry can use more rail freight
Greening the construction supply chain in the West Midlands using rail freight requires UK Government backing to unlock significant untapped potential. The region, centred on Birmingham, could be a much greater contributor to the net-zero...Read more
UK plans for northern ports gauge clearance
UK’s government has announced its Integrated Rail Plan. According the RailFreight Group, which represent the industry int he UK, there are some positive notes. Mostly, it will be “transformative for northern ports”.Read more
A high-speed Northern UK can drive a high-speed recovery
Speed, capacity and connectivity issues are all holding back the economic fortunes of the North of England. The North is still in the slow lane for rail-based interconnectivity, said Tim Wood, the Northern Powerhouse rail...Read more
A better greener Britain says government transport plan
The British government has published its post-pandemic plans for transport, and rail freight plays a significant role. The plan addresses travel, and transport patterns changes and redefines the route map for transport and logistics in...Read more
Rail Freight Group welcomes UK rail reform
The Rail Freight Group (RFG) has called today’s Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ to grow freight, as long as the proposed rail reforms deliver on the promises. The UK government has...Read more
UK policy call: Support the supply chain and cut emissions
The UK rail freight industry will be a critical part of the supply chain. That is the finding of the Rail Freight Group’s Phil Smart, newly appointed to the RFG policy team and representing the...Read moreDespite all odds, rail freight grows in the UK
Despite the pandemic and the Brexit, rail freight in the UK recorded growth of over two per cent in the third quarter of 2020. The latest official quarterly figures from the Office of Rail and...Read more
Network Rail’s Charlene Wallace: ‘We need to be a voice for the future’
There is a great opportunity for freight to assert itself in a way that hasn’t been seen for almost half a century. That was the message this Friday in the UK edition of RailFreight Live....Read more
New freeports, more funds and infrastructure in the UK
Eight new freeports have been announced for the UK, reaching from Liverpool to Felixstowe, and inland at East Midlands Airport, adjacent to the rail facilities of the East Midlands Gateway logistics park. The UK Chancellor...Read more
UK ends franchising passenger traffic, what does it mean for freight?
The UK government has announced this morning that it will support the passenger network for at least the next 18 months. This means that it is officially renationalising the railways, doing away with the franchising...Read more
Rail freight steps up to deliver for United Kingdom
Two of the most influential bodies in British industry have issued a joint statement, recognising the contribution of the rail freight industry during the current coronavirus crisis. They have called on government to recognise its...Read more
UK rail freight in a state of flux
Maggie Simpson, the director general of the Rail Freight Group, gave a frank appraisal of the industry as she opened the RailFreight Webinar UK on the future prospects for growth. Cause for long-term optimism is...Read more
UK growth: future optimism tempered by present day concerns
The RailFreight UK Webinar heard a trio of leading rail freight commentators express confidence for the future of UK’s rail freight industry today. However, they also heard some well articulated arguments, pointing to significant challenges...Read more
UK freight growth on the horizon
Members of the influential Rail Freight Group believe that recovery for the sector is on the horizon and could lead the way for the British economy. That optimism, together with long term growth, is up...Read more