Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that future franchises which incorporate reforms to the structure of the railways integrating Network Rail will incentivise new freight terminals and services.

Rail Freight is a crucial part of our rail network. We published a Rail Freight Strategy in September 2016 which reaffirms our commitment to the rail freight industry and explains how we will work to advance its interests.

The Strategy commits to ensuring that the Government, in developing its strategy for new franchise competitions, will consider how rail freight can be more systemically considered in this process.

We want to ensure any proposals for rail reform work for everyone on the network, and we will be engaging with stakeholders as any new proposals develop.

Alongside this, progress has already been made with Network Rail creating a virtual freight and national passenger operator route to ensure the interests of freight operators are represented.