RFG News – September 2026 – Issue 179

The September 2026 edition of RFG News, the Rail Freight Group’s regular newsletter, is now available to download.

This month’s edition leads with the Government’s new interim target to grow rail freight by at least 40% by 2040. We also cover the Class 99’s entry into commercial service, the arrival of the first commercial freight train at Sizewell C, and the 20th anniversary of the partnership between Direct Rail Services and Tesco.

We look back at the RFG Awards Dinner, where DCRail was named Business of the Year and John Smith OBE received a special Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations once again to all our winners and runners-up. Our thanks go to guest speaker Richard Bowker CBE, awards sponsors Burges Salmon and GB Railfreight, and everyone who helped make the evening such a success.

This edition also features guest articles from Alex Kirk of GB Railfreight on why rail reform will only succeed if freight succeeds, and Paul Hastings of Comet on the hidden cost of rail incidents.

Finally, our thanks as always to Jonathan Roberts of JR Consulting for his latest Westminster Update, examining the Government’s long-term rail strategy and what it could mean for freight.