Mail belongs on rail! Campaigners deliver giant postcard to Royal Mail
25 October 2024
In response to Royal Mail’s decision to decommission its fleet of mail trains and stop using rail in its logistics operations, Campaign for Better Transport is delivering a giant postcard to Royal Mail head office with the message, ‘Mail belongs on rail!’.
Thousands of people have added their names to the postcard, addressed to Royal Mail Chair, Keith Williams CBE, who is also Chair of the Great British Railways Transition Team. The postcard calls on Royal Mail to “work to increase the amount of mail delivered by train, not risk pushing more onto the roads.”
Michael Solomon Williams of Campaign for Better Transport said:
“Mail and rail have been working together, connecting communities for almost 200 years, so it is tragic that Royal Mail’s iconic red trains are no longer in operation. But this need not be the end of the line. Post is changing, not declining, and online parcel orders make the case for greener, faster deliveries, so Royal Mail should lead by example. It should reach out to the Government, which has professed its support for rail freight, and work with it to get deliveries back on track.”
Michael Solomon Williams added:
“Rail freight is fast, it’s green, and with one freight train removing up to 129 lorries from our clogged roads, it’s hugely popular. There is much the Government can do to boost rail freight, including reducing track access charges for freight trains and reducing the cost of electricity for rail freight operators who use electric traction.”
Rail writer and broadcaster Christian Wolmar said:
“Next year we will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of railways. For all that time mail has been carried by rail, profitably for both parties. Surely a way must now be found to continue that symbiotic relationship?”
Andrea Rossi, CEO of DB Cargo UK, which operated Royal Mail’s trains, said:
“Rail freight will always be the safest, greenest and most reliable form of logistics transportation in the UK. Whilst we are deeply disappointed at Royal Mail’s decision to switch from rail to road based logistics, we are actively working with our stakeholders to find a solution to close the cost gap between rail and road to ensure that rail freight remains the backbone of reliable and sustainable logistics.”
Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General of Rail Freight Group, the representative body for rail freight in the UK, said:
“Businesses across the country are looking to use more rail freight, and we need to find new opportunities for the parcels and mail sector to take advantage of green low carbon rail, helping to secure their supply chains and delivering rail freight growth.”
For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the Campaign for Better Transport press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk
Notes to editors
High-resolution photos can be downloaded here.
All photos: credit Devin Ainslie
Photo shown on giant postcard: credit D.J.H Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0
Royal Mail has decommissioned its fleet of electric trains, which it says are at the end of their operational lives. Earlier this year, Royal Mail said that although it would no longer be operating its own trains, it would continue to use rail. However, at the present time, it is not using rail as part of its logistics operations.
Rail Partners have shown that a single rail freight journey can replace up to 129 HGV journeys.
The text of the postcard, which is addressed to Keith Williams CBE, Chair of Royal Mail, and has been signed by 3,650 supporters of the campaign, reads:
Dear Keith,
Mail and rail belong together: they have been working in concert, connecting communities for almost 200 years.
It is therefore vital that Royal Mail and the Government work to increase the amount of mail delivered by train, not risk pushing more onto the roads. After a year of record-breaking global temperatures, any reduction in rail freight would be all the more disastrous, increasing carbon emissions, air pollution and traffic on our roads.
With your roles at both Royal Mail and Great British Railways, you have a perfect opportunity to find a solution. And action is vital. Only nine per cent of freight is moved by rail in the UK, compared to an average of 17 per cent in Europe, nearly twice as good as us!
There is much that the Government could do to address the high costs of rail freight, so please reach out and work with them to find a solution which will send a bold message that freight belongs on rail, and that Royal Mail must lead by example.
Best wishes
Campaign for Better Transport
Campaign for Better Transport operates in England and Wales. Campaign for Better Transport’s vision is for all communities to have access to high quality, sustainable transport that meets their needs, improves quality of life and protects the environment. Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a registered charity (1101929).
