Rail Freight

Lord Anderson of Swansea Excerpts

Monday 14th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

The rail freight sector is, of course, a commercial sector, with commercial organisations providing power to freight trains. This Thursday, I am going to launch one of several new tri-mode freight locomotives from one of the operators, and a number of aspects of the Government’s investment plans for road and rail will allow decarbonisation of freight trains more easily than at the moment. I will be very happy to write to the noble Lord with some detail about that, so that he can understand what we are going to do.

[Lord Anderson of Swansea (Lab)]

Is my noble friend satisfied that there are enough incentives to encourage industry to install or improve access for freight?

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

There are clearly incentives, which I have described, and, in fact, access for freight is continuing. Recently, a new rail link was built into Horton Quarry, which is in Yorkshire off the Settle and Carlisle line, and a new freight terminal at Thorney Mill, which is near West Drayton. So it is clear that developments can be made in that direction, and the discounts that I have described and the encouragement for new freight ought to be testimony to the fact that the Government are keen on that happening.