Rail Partners responds to Royal Mail's plans to end its use of rail freight

Rail Partners’ chief executive Andy Bagnall said:

‘Today’s announcement reflects the challenging conditions affecting the rail freight sector.

‘Despite the wide consensus on the importance of rail freight growth to reducing carbon emissions and getting lorries off our roads, such growth won’t happen on its own. To ensure we fully realise the benefits of rail freight, it is essential to create a level playing field between different modes of transport so that freight customers aren’t priced out of making the right decision for the environment by rising costs compared to road haulage.

‘Rail Partners and its freight members want to work with the new Labour government on policies that will make rail more competitive against road and drive continued private sector investment from the rail freight industry to grow and further decarbonise the sector.’