Network Rail Cuts Access Charges for New UK Freight Operators

The state-owned rail infrastructure manager announced it would waive the relevant charges in full for six months while a company establishes new traffic, as part of its collaboration with the UK’s Department for Transport to promote a modal shift to rail.

Paul McMahon, Network Rail’s director for planning and regulation, stated, “It’s not just words and cutting that carbon that will bring more freight to the tracks and off the roads – haulage is very price-sensitive, and by bringing this discount in, we are doing our bit to help our freight customers.”

The offer is available to all qualifying rail operators and freight services, worth around £1,000 per train circulation, depending on the length of the train.

Network Rail hopes that waiving fees for new operators will support the UK government’s new freight growth target, which aims for a 75% increase in the country’s rail freight industry by 2050, as part of its ambition to achieve net zero by that same year.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy remarked, “The rail freight sector plays a crucial role in keeping the country moving, providing a faster, greener, and more efficient way of transporting goods. The government’s policy is to promote and grow the use of freight services across the country, making rail transport the obvious choice for businesses, and this initiative will do just that.”

A reduction in track access charges was one of the policies advocated by rail operator Freightliner in its call for the government to do more to support the industry in reaching the growth target earlier this year.

The company praised the launch of Network Rail’s access charges reduction scheme, stating that it has already seen benefits for new customers considering a move from road to rail.

However, Katrina Hales, Freightliner’s group marketing director, told Railway Technology, “It is important to recognize that while this support is a great start, it only provides a temporary six-month benefit, after which the fundamental challenges in rail freight still remain.

“We urgently require a policy framework with long-term initiatives to support growth and drive modal shift.”