The 2020/21 financial year recorded the lowest annual number of freight train journeys performed on national railways in Great Britain, at around 189,400 freight train movements. This 9.6 percent drop compared to the 2019/20 financial year is in part due to the introduction of carbon taxes and a government initiative to phase out fossil fuel, which lead to a dip in coal movements. In the period of consideration, freight train movements presented a trend of decline despite some oscillation. Overall, freight train movements more than halved along these thirteen years.
Annual number of freight train movements on the rail network in Great Britain from 2005/06 to 2020/21
(in 1,000s)
Characteristic
Thousand movements
2020/21
189.4
2019/20
209.5
2018/19
220.7
2017/18
215.8
2016/17
223.8
2015/16
236.3
2014/15
282.3
2013/14
288.4
2012/13
275.8
2011/12
273.9
2010/11
265.6
2009/10
278.5
2008/09
316.7
0100200300400500600
Add this content to your personal favorites. These can be accessed from the favorites menu in the main navigation.
You have no right to use this feature.
Make sure to contact us if you are interested in scientific citation.
You can upgrade your account to enable this functionality for all statistics.
This feature is not available with your current account.Request access
Statista has been my savior on several occasions.
The site is easy to maneuver and the data is in a format that can
go right into a report or presentation.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
GOV.UK. (December 16, 2021). Annual number of freight train movements on the rail network in Great Britain from 2005/06 to 2020/21 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 04, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/463603/number-of-freight-train-movements-in-great-britain/
GOV.UK. "Annual number of freight train movements on the rail network in Great Britain from 2005/06 to 2020/21 (in 1,000s)." Chart. December 16, 2021. Statista. Accessed April 04, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/463603/number-of-freight-train-movements-in-great-britain/
GOV.UK. (2021). Annual number of freight train movements on the rail network in Great Britain from 2005/06 to 2020/21 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 04, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/463603/number-of-freight-train-movements-in-great-britain/
GOV.UK. "Annual Number of Freight Train Movements on The Rail Network in Great Britain from 2005/06 to 2020/21 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Dec 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/463603/number-of-freight-train-movements-in-great-britain/
GOV.UK, Annual number of freight train movements on the rail network in Great Britain from 2005/06 to 2020/21 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/463603/number-of-freight-train-movements-in-great-britain/ (last visited April 04, 2025)
Annual number of freight train movements on the rail network in Great Britain from 2005/06 to 2020/21 (in 1,000s) [Graph], GOV.UK, December 16, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/463603/number-of-freight-train-movements-in-great-britain/
Profit from additional features with an Employee Account
Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites.
Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
