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Notes to editors

Tim Robinson, career:

2009- Interim commercial director, GB Railfreight

2007- Director, Global Infrastructure Solutions

2005-2007 Business development director, EWS Railway

2001-2005 Commercial director, GB Railfreight

2000-2001 National passenger manager, Railtrack

1996-2000 Account executive EWS, Railtrack

Network Rail published last year, a study, The value and importance of rail freight (http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Media-Library/Value-of-Freight-report-e0d.aspx). The study showed that British economy is boosted annually from £870m by the rail freight industry. The freight industry further indirectly supports an economic output of £5.9bn, over six-times its direct turnover. Further findings were:

• Rail transports over 100m tonnes of goods worth around £30bn every year
• The freight sector is supporting employment 14-times the number employed directly in the industry (4.7k compared to 66.6k)
• In total, the UK freight sector contributes £299m in profits and wages to the UK economy
• Rail freight generates £185k worth of output per employee almost double the national average (£89k)
• The societal benefits from a shift from road to rail equate to £376m (2007/8) and up to £903m if it grows by 140% (2031). This would be a lot higher if the loss of revenue from vehicle excise duty was not taken into account
• Rail freight demand is predicted to grow by 30% over the next decade and up to 140% over 30 years
• The Eddington report estimated that the time lost as a result of road congestion costs the British economy £7bn-8bn every year and is likely to be at least £24bn by 2025
• Without the railway, the anticipated growth in freight traffic over the next 30 years would mean an extra 1.5m lorry journeys on Britain’s roads each year
• Each freight train takes about 60 lorries off the roads