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ARTICLE · 11 SEPTEMBER 2026

Government Sets 2040 Rail Freight Growth Target

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The UK government has set an ambitious statutory target to increase rail freight volumes by at least 40% by 2040, with a longer-term goal of 75% growth by 2050. This initiative, backed by the Railways Bill currently before Parliament, aims to shift goods transport from road to rail, potentially saving up to one million tonnes of CO₂ annually while raising the value of rail-transported goods from £33.7 billion to £49.5 billion.

United KingdomTransport
Lydia Cullimore
Lydia Cullimore

On 8 September 2026, the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, announced a new target to increase rail freight volumes by at least 40% by 2040, measured in net tonne kilometres. The target is an interim milestone towards a longer-term ambition of at least 75% growth by 2050, and is accompanied by commodity-specific objectives including a 65% increase in high-value goods and a 45% increase in construction goods. If the 2040 growth target is met, it is estimated to raise the annual value of goods moved by rail from £33.7 billion to £49.5 billion.

Legislative Foundation: The Railways Bill

It is anticipated that the rail freight growth target will have a statutory footing. Section 17 of the Railways Bill, currently before Parliament, places a duty on the Secretary of State to set and publish a target to increase the use of the railway network in Great Britain for the carriage of goods. It further requires Great British Railways (GBR), when exercising its statutory

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