Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the operational effect on rail freight of ending the transition period without a deal with the EU.

I set out the potential impacts of the end of the Transition Period on the rail industry, including rail freight, in my reply to PQ UIN 120112 on 30 November 2020. The Department has engaged extensively with the rail freight industry on a number of cross-cutting policy areas to help businesses prepare for a non-negotiated outcome with the EU at the end of the transition period.

We have published guidance on running domestic and cross-border rail operations from 1 January 2021, and this applies irrespective of the UK and EU agreeing a formal trading relationship. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rail-transport-from-1-january-2021.

The Department also engages on a very regular basis specifically with cross-border freight operators to ensure they have the necessary arrangements in place and are well prepared for all scenarios from 1 January 2021. Cross-border rail freight operations are not contingent upon an agreement being reached with the EU. The Government is confident that the necessary contingency arrangements will be in place to secure the continued smooth operation of cross-border services from 1 January 2021.