FACTS AND STATISTICS

General

• Rail freight has attracted over £1.5 billion of investment from the private sector since privatisation.
• In the past 10 years it has grown by almost 50%, increasing its market share of surface transport to 11.5%.
• In 2002/03 alone, rail freight moved the equivalent of 5.6 million lorry journeys and saved 1.4 billion lorry kilometres.
• The UK's two largest rail freight operators have cut staff by up to 30% yet increased workload by 50% since privatisation.
• Since 2000 Britain's rail freight companies have bought 394 brand new class 66 locomotives and over 3000 new wagons.
• Less than 5% of delays to passenger trains are caused by freight trains. Network Rail causes over half (53.4%), passenger operators themselves cause nearly 40%, of which 80% are self-inflicted.
• A YouGov survey conducted in December 2003 found 79% of people identified transferring freight off roads onto rail as a priority for Government in tackling congestion on motorways. This was more than twice the number advocating reductions in roadworks and more than four times the number in favour of building more roads.

Rail freight and the economy

• In 2002/03 rail freight moved an estimated 43.5 million tonnes of goods to and from the UK's ports.
• 65% of intercontinental trade in the north of England arrives by rail.
• Rail handles up to 1000 containers moving through the Port of Southampton every day.
• Each year at the Port of Felixstowe rail transports over one quarter million containers.
• Rail freight transports coal that produces one quarter the UK's electricity
• One third of metal products in the UK are delivered by rail.
• Three quarters of BMW minis leave the Cowley assembly plant on trains that move some 260 cars at a time.
• Ford, Nissan, Jaguar, Volkswagon UK and MG Rover are all major users of rail freight
• Around half of the UK's largest steel manufacturer, Corus' deliveries are made by rail.
• 80% of stone used for construction in London is supplied by rail. Nationally, rail's share is approaching a fifth.
• Retailers that are direct users of rail freight include Marks & Spencer, Rosebys, Safeway, Superdrug, Argos and ASDA.
• At the Port of Felixstowe 22 freight trains a day move over one quarter million containers every year.

Rail freight and the environment

• Since 1997 rail freight has saved 644 deaths and serious injuries by taking lorries off Britain's roads.
• The Government's own highly conservative figures show that in the next ten years rail freight could deliver environmental benefits worth well over £4 billion. Figures consistent with European studies value the environmental benefits at more than £5 billion.
• A typical freight train can remove 50 HGVs from our roads.
• Over the past 6 years alone rail freight is estimated to have saved two million tonnes of pollutants, 6.4 billion lorry kilometres and 31.5 million lorry journeys.
• Compared with carrying the same tonnage by road, rail produces less than one tenth of the carbon monoxide; around one twentieth of the nitrogen oxide; less than 9% of the fine particulates and around 10% of the volatile organic compounds.
• Every tonne of freight carried by rail produces at least 80% less carbon dioxide than by road.