Freight’s quiet gains—and glaring omissions

UK 10-year infrastructure plan leaves freight disappointed

Engineers busy over track layout in a rural setting with the Pennines in the background
Work on the Transpennine Route Upgrade. Image: © Network Rail

Ely enhancement is not there. Midland Main Line wires are on pause. Infill electrification is sadly missing. The UK government’s newly published 10-year infrastructure strategy lays out a £725 billion (837 billion euros) investment over a decade, with approximately £35.5 billion (41 billion euros) earmarked for rail enhancements between 2026–27 and 2029–30. But for the freight community, the headline figure masks a mixed picture.

Subscribe to gain access to all news

Already have a subscription? Log in.

Choose your subscription

Considering a corporate subscription? Contact us to find out more.

Or

Want to read this article for free?

You can read one free article per month. Enter your email and we'll send you a free link to access the full article. No payment required.

Author: Simon Walton

Simon Walton is RailFreight's UK correspondent.

E-mail

Related posts

A look back at a lively discussion 740-metre trains have shown themselves to be surprisingly divisive

Some time ago, RailFreight.com published an opinion piece taking a rarely heard perspective. It argued against the urgency of 740-metre trains in Europe. RailFreight.com and…
EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY New EU state aid guidelines increase coverage to 90%

The European Commission (EC) recently adopted the new Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines, which will replace the 2008 Railway Guidelines on state aid rules to…
Court strikes down German TAC rule ECJ opens door to several hundred million euro TAC refunds in Germany

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against the German cap on track access charges (TAC) for local passenger traffic. Since 2016, rail freight…
MILITARY MOBILITY Industry leaders highlight importance of military mobility readiness

In the current geopolitical landscape, Europe needs to be prepared with a rail infrastructure ready to accommodate dual use transport and military mobility. Most agreed…

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.

Subscribe to gain access to all news

Already have a subscription? Log in.

Choose your subscription

Considering a corporate subscription? Contact us to find out more.

Or

Want to read this article for free?

You can read one free article per month. Enter your email and we'll send you a free link to access the full article. No payment required.