GB Railfreight welcomes the ORR draft determination and calls for on-going dialogue with the regulator (version anglaise)

In response to the ORR's draft determination, John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said: "GB Railfreight welcomes the draft determination from the ORR and we thank the regulator for engaging with us on what is a very difficult issue for the rail freight industry. It is critical that this initial engagement now turns into a longer-term conversation in order that we tackle some of the issues around freight charging that have remained unaddressed since privatisation. 
To safeguard this dialogue, we have recommended to Government that this takes the form of a working group, consisting of the Department for Transport, Network Rail, the ORR and the FOCs. A well-considered, long-term charging framework would maximise the £500 million which Government has already invested in or committed to in boosting the capacity of the freight network. And it would help allow the rail freight sector to continue to deliver significant environmental benefits and keep the UK economy moving."