A new industry report argues that Britain can secure faster freight services, extra network capacity, lower whole-life costs and major carbon savings by making better use of existing electrification and filling critical gaps on strategic freight corridors.
The UK rail industry must move quickly to maximise the value of existing electrified infrastructure and develop a targeted programme of freight-focused electrification if it is to meet the Government’s ambition to grow rail freight by 75% by 2050, according to a new report published by the Railway Industry Association.
The report, Growing rail freight: The need for targeted electrification, has been produced by RIA in conjunction with the Rail Freight Group and the Railway Engineering Institution, with research undertaken by the University of Birmingham. It sets out the operational, economic and environmental case for increasing the use of electric freight traction, arguing that the benefits would be felt not only by freight operators and customers but also by passenger operators, infrastructure managers and taxpayers.
Its central message is pragmatic rather than maximalist: the UK does not need to electrify the whole network to transform rail freight. Instead, the report says the industry should focus on the routes, infill sections, terminals and power supply constraints that prevent freight trains from making full use of the wires already in place.
RIA says previous work has shown that electrifying a further third of the network for passenger traffic would also enable around 95% of freight traffic to run electrically. On these core corridors, electric traction would allow freight trains to haul heavier loads, climb gradients faster, run at higher average speeds and reduce conflicts with passenger services.
For rail professionals, the report’s implications are significant. It places freight electrification not only in the context of decarbonisation, but also as a capacity, performance, asset utilisation and whole-system cost issue.
Rail freight framed as a strategic national asset
The report describes rail freight as a major but under-recognised contributor to the UK economy. It notes that rail already moves a quarter of all containerised goods from the nation’s ports, delivers £2.45 billion in economic benefits and removes 1.6 billion lorry kilometres from the road network.
It also highlights rail freight’s role in supporting wider national priorities, including housing, infrastructure delivery, construction supply chains, food distribution, economic resilience and energy security. Around 90% of rail freight’s economic benefits are felt outside London and the South East, the report says.
A single freight train can carry the equivalent of 76 HGVs on average. Diesel-hauled rail freight emits substantially less carbon dioxide per tonne than road freight, while electrically hauled rail freight offers further environmental benefits, including zero lineside CO₂ emissions.
RIA’s report argues that these advantages will become more important as the UK looks to reduce road congestion, cut emissions and improve supply chain resilience. But it warns that growth on the scale sought by Government will not be achievable without a strategic approach to traction, infrastructure and network capability.
Capacity case: faster freight means more paths
One of the report’s most important arguments is that electrification should be viewed as a capacity intervention, not simply a carbon-reduction measure.
On mixed-traffic railways, capacity is often constrained by speed differentials between passenger and freight services. The report points in particular to the West Coast Main Line, where around 90% of intermodal freight runs and where diesel freight trains can lose significant time on steep gradients compared with faster passenger services.
Electric locomotives typically offer around twice the power of diesel equivalents. That additional power enables faster acceleration, stronger performance on gradients and higher average speeds. The report says this can create more available train paths for both freight and passenger services by reducing the extent to which slower freight trains constrain the timetable.
This is especially relevant on congested intercity and mixed-use corridors, where even modest improvements in freight performance can have wider timetable benefits. The report also says electric freight has the potential to reduce journey times by two to three hours on some routes between England and Scotland, improving wagon and locomotive utilisation and supporting more frequent services.
The report links this to the industry’s emerging “Faster Freight” agenda, calling for all parties to work together to accelerate the initiative and increase capacity on existing electrified corridors.
Immediate focus: make the existing wires work harder
The report’s near-term proposals centre on maximising electric haulage where infrastructure already exists. That includes greater use of existing electric locomotives and new bi-mode locomotives capable of operating under overhead line equipment where available and switching to diesel beyond the electrified network.
RIA says Great British Railways should consider how it can incentivise electric haulage, including through discounts or other support for the costs of new locomotives. It also calls for electricity pricing to be made competitive with diesel, warning that commercial frameworks must support, rather than deter, operators from using electric traction.
The report also identifies practical infrastructure interventions. These include infilling short unelectrified sections that prevent end-to-end electric operation, reviewing power supply capability and addressing weaknesses that stop freight trains from using electrification that is already in place.
For infrastructure planners, this shifts the focus from large standalone schemes to tactical interventions that unlock wider route capability. In some cases, a short section of wiring, a terminal connection or a power supply enhancement could have a disproportionate impact if it enables through electric operation on a major freight flow.
Passenger schemes must be freight-ready
In the medium term, the report argues that freight requirements must be embedded in the Department for Transport’s Operator’s Rolling Stock and Infrastructure Strategy and in the future planning work of Great British Railways.
RIA says passenger and freight services share the same network, meaning investment for one often benefits the other. Electrification, modern signalling and targeted infrastructure upgrades can improve speed, reliability and capacity across the system.
The report therefore calls for new passenger electrification schemes to be specified so they also support freight where freight currently operates, or is likely to operate in future. That includes ensuring power supplies are adequate for freight use, considering gradients and freight train performance, and assessing the location of gaps in discontinuous electrification.
It also recommends collaborative work to identify incremental additions to passenger electrification schemes that would close freight electrification gaps. The argument is that freight benefits should be included in the business case for passenger electrification, strengthening the overall value-for-money case.
This has important implications for scheme development. A passenger-focused electrification project that omits a freight terminal connection, leaves a short unwired gap, or under-specifies power supply for heavy freight could miss a major opportunity. Conversely, relatively small scope additions at the design stage could unlock substantial freight benefits.
Electric traction identified as optimum long-term solution
The report’s traction analysis concludes that electric locomotives are the optimum long-term solution for main line rail freight where electrification is available.
It identifies four principal advantages: reliability, energy efficiency, affordability and zero-carbon operation at the point of use.
Electric locomotives have fewer moving parts than diesel equivalents and typically require less maintenance, reducing depot time and improving availability. They draw energy directly from the grid rather than carrying onboard fuel or relying on onboard energy conversion, making them significantly more efficient. The report says electric trains are almost three times more energy-efficient than diesel traction.
Regenerative braking also allows electric trains to recover energy and return it to the grid or supply nearby trains. The report states that between 8% and 30% of a train’s energy consumption can be recovered in this way, depending on route and operating conditions.
From a cost perspective, the report says electric freight locomotives have significantly lower total purchase, maintenance and traction energy costs over a 30-year vehicle life than diesel or hybrid equivalents. It also points to reduced track maintenance costs and lower whole-life infrastructure costs when electrification is delivered efficiently.
Bi-mode locomotives seen as a transition technology
The report recognises that the current network is only partially electrified and that operators need flexible traction during the transition. It therefore identifies bi-mode locomotives as a practical interim solution.
Examples include the Class 93, which combines electric and diesel capability with a small battery, and the Class 99, which is being introduced to provide electric operation under the wires and diesel operation away from them.
RIA says these locomotives allow operators to capture many of the benefits of electric traction today while retaining the ability to serve unelectrified routes and terminals. The report says bi-mode locomotives can play an important bridging role and that it would be pragmatic for them to be used for their economic lives, especially if powered by lower-carbon alternative fuels when operating away from the wires.
However, the report is clear that bi-mode traction should not become an excuse to defer electrification indefinitely. Its value lies in enabling immediate use of existing infrastructure and supporting the transition to a more electrified strategic freight network.
Battery-only locomotives not a substitute for electrification
Research undertaken by the University of Birmingham for the report concludes that battery-only locomotives are not a substitute for main line electrification.
The report says battery-only traction has a role in shunting, terminals and very short-distance movements, where range and charging constraints are manageable. But for heavy main line freight over long distances, battery-only locomotives cannot provide the same capability as electrification.
Hybrid electric-battery locomotives are treated more positively, but with important caveats. The report suggests they are not a like-for-like replacement for “go-anywhere” diesel locomotives, but they could become increasingly useful on multimodal routes with short unelectrified sections, for low-speed last-mile operation and on routes with carefully planned discontinuous electrification.
Their potential role is expected to grow as battery technology improves and as more of the network is electrified. But the report stresses that hybrid operation must be planned around real freight constraints, including unwired distance, gradients, train weight and recharging opportunities.
Internal combustion risks forfeiting capacity benefits
The report acknowledges that low-carbon fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil can reduce emissions from diesel locomotives and may offer a short-term option for customers willing to pay a premium.
But it warns that internal combustion traction cannot deliver the performance and capacity benefits of electric traction. Continuing to rely on diesel-based power would therefore limit the gains available to both freight and passenger services.
The report also frames fossil fuel dependence as an energy security and cost risk. As diesel fleets approach life expiry, it argues that the industry should move towards a planned mix of electric and hybrid traction, supported by coordinated infrastructure decisions and commercial frameworks.
Call for a rolling programme and national strategy
The report’s publication follows RIA’s June 2026 Electrification Cost Challenge 2.0 work, which concluded that a rolling programme of electrification could reduce costs by around a third compared with a best-practice project delivered under today’s stop-start approach.
Stephen Barber, CEO of the Railway Engineering Institution, said the new freight report “conclusively endorses the case for further electrification of freight routes” and identifies immediate opportunities for investment in infill sections.
He said the findings, together with RIA’s cost challenge work, highlight “the urgent need for a National Strategy for Electrification”.
RIA Senior Technical Advisor David Clarke said rail freight is “one of the UK’s greatest but often overlooked economic assets” and argued that maximising electric freight could unlock additional capacity, improve reliability, reduce costs and deliver economic benefits across the country.
He said the Government’s target to grow rail freight by 75% by 2050 will require “a strategic approach to freight electrification, focused on the key routes where electric traction can deliver the greatest benefits”.
Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General of the Rail Freight Group, said electric rail freight offers advantages for customers and should be used wherever possible. She added that private sector freight operators are investing in new bi-mode locomotives that represent “a step change in capability”, but need the right frameworks to maximise rail’s environmental advantages.
Recommendations for GBR and industry
The report sets out a series of practical recommendations for Great British Railways and the wider industry.
In the short term, it calls for action to increase the use of electric and bi-mode locomotives. This includes incentives for electric haulage, competitive electricity pricing and support for investment in new locomotives.
It also recommends targeted work to maximise the value of existing electrification. That means infilling short gaps, improving power supplies and ensuring freight can operate electrically wherever wires are available.
For new schemes, the report says freight must be designed in from the outset. Passenger electrification projects should include power supply and infrastructure specifications that support freight use on relevant routes. The industry should also assess whether small additions to passenger schemes could close critical freight gaps.
The report further calls for a cross-industry business case for freight electrification, including targeted infill schemes where passenger electrification is not yet required. It recommends prioritising short and medium-distance gaps on key corridors to unlock earlier electric freight capability.
Finally, it supports the introduction of battery locomotives in terminals where they can deliver practical operational benefits, while making clear that main line freight decarbonisation will depend primarily on electric traction and, where appropriate, electric-battery hybrid operation.
A freight electrification agenda with passenger benefits
For rail professionals, the report’s significance lies in its whole-system framing. It does not present freight electrification as a narrow environmental project. Instead, it argues that electric freight can help solve some of the railway’s most difficult capacity, performance and cost challenges.
By improving freight acceleration and speeds, electrification can reduce timetable conflicts on mixed-use corridors. By enabling longer and heavier trains, it can improve freight productivity. By lowering traction energy and maintenance costs, it can improve the economics of rail freight. And by reducing emissions, it can strengthen rail’s role in national decarbonisation.
The report’s challenge to Government, GBR and the wider supply chain is therefore clear: the UK already has electrified corridors capable of supporting more electric freight, but gaps in infrastructure, power supply, pricing and strategy are holding back the benefits.
With freight growth now a formal national objective, RIA, RFG and RailEI argue that targeted electrification should be treated as a strategic investment in network capacity, economic resilience and long-term railway efficiency – not simply as a carbon measure.
