RFG’s 33rd Annual Rail Freight Conference report

The launch of Great British Railways (GBR) and the establishment of more regional and city authorities were topics raised throughout the day at the 2025 Rail Freight Group Conference. Both speakers and attendees agreed that these developments created both opportunities and challenges for the rail freight industry.

Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, speaking via a video link, stated that the government was not just consulting industry about GBR but looking to partner with it. He said that focused discounts as well as the statutory growth targets would help rail freight to thrive. Other speakers pointed out that, in the end, most customers based their logistics decisions on costs and that rising track access charges combined with a road fuel duty that had not risen for 15 years, made competing with road difficult.

There was good news from Guy Bates of Network Rail on the Track Access Discount Policy which offers free track access for six months for new-to-rail services: about three in four of the new services continued after the free access ended, proving that this seed funding could make a real difference. John Larkinson of the ORR notes that about a quarter to a third (depending on what you measured) of the rail industry would remain outside GBR – including freight, Scotland, Wales and HS1. This means very careful management of the interfaces and of the transition to the new timetable is needed.

Huw Merriman, former Minister for Rail, said it was important that the rail freight industry engaged directly with MPs and took them to see the operations on the ground. Others added that the Devolution Bill would create more strategic authorities – many with responsibility for transport – so closer engagement with all those officials and politicians would also be vital.

The introduction of ETCS (European Train Control System) to enable digital signalling on the East Coast Mainline requires intense cooperation and coordination, including between competitors, according to Ed Akers of Network Rail. Retrofitting on this scale had never been done before and freight will be particularly challenging, he said. Despite the current difficulties, especially in the construction sector, most speakers remain optimistic about rail freight in the future. Network Rail is looking at how rail freight can be incorporated into a pipeline of future major construction projects and new locos and new technology will help to improve productivity and sustainability.

RFG thanks Waterfront Conference Company for organising the event and Addlestone Goddard for hosting.

RFG would also like to thank all of the speakers who contributed their time and expertise to the programme, including Peter Graham (Freightliner), Kathryn Oldale (DB Cargo), Sara Gilmore (Addleshaw Goddard), Mark Grimshaw-Smith (Cemex), John Smith OBE (GB Railfreight), Ross McKissock (Forth Ports Group), Gottfried Eymer (Nuclear Transport Solutions), Jozef Ochwat (Port of Felixstowe), Katy Grand (Network Rail) and Adam Lloyd (Tritax Big Box). Their insights on rolling stock innovation, market development, supply chains and strategic infrastructure added breadth and depth to the day’s discussions.