At #TUC26 we raised an Emergency Motion on the sale of DB Cargo UK.
DB Cargo plans to sell the entire business rapidly, risking asset stripping. This threatens jobs and the government's new 2040 rail freight growth target.
This is worrying, but there is a solution.
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Rail freight has been in continual decline, with the same operators undercutting each other for the same contracts and looking to drive down terms and conditions for our members.
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DB Cargo UK's fast sale presents a risk of asset strippers selling the lucrative land, wagons and locomotives.
This risks our members' jobs and a reduction in rail capacity, harming rail freight's ability to provide green supply chains to support industrial growth.
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Rail freight operators also provide the drivers, locomotives and wagons for Network Rail's infrastructure works.
If that freight operator disappears, broken up and sold off, who's going to be maintaining the railway then?
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There is a solution.
The government needs to look at insourcing Network Rail's train operations, or expand the publicly owned operator to support the industry. Great British Railways offers an opportunity to absorb rail freight services.
#TUC26 carried our motion.
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We've raised these concerns before. They're at the heart of our Rail Freight Future campaign.
Rail freight is greener, cleaner and safer, but its future isn't guaranteed. GBR's creation presents an opportunity to secure its future.
Read more: aslef.org.uk/RailFreightFutu…
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