Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the provision of incentive schemes that encourage businesses to shift from road to rail freight.

The Government is determined to encourage a move from road to rail for transporting goods. For example, initiatives currently include setting a long-term rail freight growth target and the Department’s Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme, which assists rail freight operating companies with the costs associated with running freight on rail instead of road, where rail transport is more expensive. A review of the MSRS scheme, which runs until 31 March 2025, will commence soon.