To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards the target of increasing rail freight by 80 per cent. by 2010 as stated in his Department's Transport Ten Year Plan of 2000; what the baseline year is against which this target is being measured; and how much rail freight there was in each year since 2000. (232008)

The potential rail freight growth figure of up to 80 per cent. quoted in the Department for Transport's 10 year plan of 2000 was not a target. It was always recognised that actual growth would depend on a number of factors—in particular, the success of private sector rail freight operators in delivering improvements in performance and efficiency.

Detailed rail freight statistics covering the years from 2000 to 2008 are published in the Office for Rail Regulation's Rail Trends document on its website:

www.rail-reg.gov.uk

and by the Department for Transport in its Transport Statistics for Great Britain document on its website:

www.dft.gov.uk.

Since 2000-01 the amount of rail freight moved has increased by 17 per cent. In the last 18 months the Government have announced record levels of rail freight investment to support continued growth including £200 million towards the development of a strategic freight network and over £150 million of funding towards the provision of infrastructure enhancement for freight through the Productivity Transport Innovation Fund.