Shifting more freight from road to rail and water could lead to significant reductions in congestion and environmental impacts, according to new research. The research suggests that previous studies may have underestimated the economic and environmental benefits that could result from curbing the number of heavy goods freight vehicles on UK roads.
The study from the Campaign for Better Transport think tank, draws on previous government research that argued a boost in rail freight would have a minimal impact on the amount of freight transported by roads. The Department for Transport’s National Networks Policy Statement declared that “if freight carried by rail was to increase by 50 per cent (in terms of tonne kilometres) this would only be equivalent to a reduction of around seven per cent in goods carried by road”.