The latest official quarterly analysis of freight rail performance in the UK shows a significant downturn. There was a five per cent decline in the total freight lifted. Just 17.7 million tonnes were taken up in the latest quarter reviewed, April to June 2025. Total freight moved was 4,088 million net tonne kilometres. That’s also down 2 per cent, compared with the same quarter in 2024. One of the stalwarts of UK rail freight, construction, had the largest absolute reduction in freight moved, decreasing by 32 million net tonne kilometres.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the independent regulator for Britain’s railways (and the monitor of the strategic road network in England), compiles official transport statistics on behalf of the UK government. Its quarterly review of rail freight activity is a barometer of industrial activity in the UK. Their most recent figures, for Summer 2025, do not make for comfortable reading. Most metrics are down. That reflects a poorly performing UK economy.
Construction hits a low
A slowdown in Britain’s construction industry has impacted rail freight figures in the second quarter of 2025. The latest ORR figures show that heavy loads are declining. The metric of freight moved measures the amount of freight moved on the railway network, taking into account the weight of the load and the distance carried. It is measured in net tonne kilometres.
Generally, heavier goods, including construction materials, make a significant impact on this metric. In the latest quarter, total freight moved was 4,088 million net tonne kilometres. This is down two per cent compared with the same quarter in the previous year. Freight moved decreased for nine commodities compared with the same quarter in the last year. Of this, intermodal maritime (down one per cent) and construction (down two per cent) had the largest impact on the overall reduction, with market shares of 37 per cent and 33 per cent of all freight moved, respectively. For construction, this was the lowest April-to-June quarter since 2022.
Other industrials show a decline, but boxes surge
Metals (down 4 per cent) and oil and petroleum (down 6 per cent) also had notable reductions. Metals recorded 270 million net tonne kilometres, which is the lowest April to June quarter since the time series began in 1998. In early April, there was uncertainty about the future of British Steel Scunthorpe. Oil and petroleum saw the lowest April to June quarter since 2020. The closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery in April 2025, and the associated closure of the Dalston oil depot in December 2024, have resulted in lower levels of fuel oil traffic.
Intermodal non-maritime (up 16 per cent) and other (up 19 per cent) were the only commodities to increase this quarter compared with the same quarter in the previous year. Intermodal non-maritime recorded 222 million net tonne kilometres, which is the highest April to June quarter since 2013. Independent intermodal development continues to surge ahead. New terminals and new flows have come on stream, but have yet to be surveyed. The likelihood is that intermodal will significantly improve its position in the next quarterly figures, due in mid-December.
Efficiency good news
One refreshing statistic has been the measure of freight vehicle kilometres. This is the actual vehicle kilometres travelled by freight operators on all mainline infrastructure, terminals and yards. This is calculated by multiplying the number of rail vehicles (e.g. coaches) by the distance travelled. A total of 184.37 million freight vehicle kilometres were recorded in the latest quarter. This was an increase of 1% compared with the same quarter in the previous year. This suggests that although freight trains are covering less total distance, there were more vehicles (i.e. longer trains).
In the latest quarter, the Office of Rail and Road says the small operator Devon and Cornwall Railways reported the largest increase in train and vehicle kilometres (both up 21%). Both train and vehicle kilometres were the highest of any quarter since the time series began in 2010. There were also increases in both train and vehicle kilometres for Direct Rail Services, GB Railfreight and Freightliner Group compared with the same quarter last year.