📌Government Sets 40% Rail Freight Growth Target for 2040

The UK Government has announced a new target to increase freight moved by rail by at least 40% by 2040, marking an important milestone towards its longer-term ambition of achieving at least 75% growth by 2050.

Measured in net tonne kilometres, the target forms part of the Government’s plans for Great British Railways (GBR) to support economic growth, strengthen supply chains and increase the role of rail freight across the UK.

The Railways Bill provides for the Transport Secretary to set a rail freight growth target for GBR, embedding freight growth within the future organisation’s strategic responsibilities and decision-making.

The Government estimates that achieving the 2040 target could increase the annual value of goods moved by rail from £33.7 billion to £49.5 billion, while saving up to one million tonnes of CO₂ annually compared with moving the equivalent freight by road.

Forecasts indicate potential growth of 45% in construction goods and 65% in high-value goods, including cars, white goods and medicines. The target is intended to provide greater certainty for freight operators and customers while supporting long-term investment in rail freight infrastructure and supply chains.

📌ENS Data Quality: Operators Reminded of 30 September Compliance Deadline

Carriers and intermediaries responsible for submitting Entry Summary (ENS) Safety and Security declarations have been reminded to ensure that information submitted for accompanied RoRo and Channel Tunnel movements is complete and accurate.

Recent compliance communications have highlighted data quality issues affecting the Identity of Means of Transport Crossing the Border and Container Number / Trailer Number fields.

Examples include the use of holding values such as “Truck”, Trailer Registration Numbers (TRNs) being entered instead of Vehicle Registration Numbers (VRNs), and incomplete or incorrect container or trailer identification information.

Parties responsible for ENS declarations have been asked to review their processes and address relevant compliance issues by 30 September 2026. Issues identified after that date may result in further compliance action, up to and including customs civil penalties.

Where an operator has already received a warning or penalty containing a specific compliance timeframe, that individual deadline continues to apply.

The reminder reinforces the importance of accurate Safety and Security data in supporting effective border risk assessment and the efficient movement of goods through UK borders.

📌AI Adoption Highlights Growing Focus on Supply Chain Governance

New research from IDC, sponsored by Kinaxis, highlights the growing importance of data quality, governance and accountability as organisations increase their use of artificial intelligence across supply chain operations.

The study surveyed more than 2,000 supply chain leaders across nine global markets and found that AI-enabled capabilities are already widely adopted. Only 2% of respondents reported having no AI capabilities in place.

Expectations around autonomous decision-making are also increasing. While only 6% of organisations currently describe their supply chains as autonomous at scale, 41% expect this to become their core operating model within the next one to two years.

The research also highlights the governance considerations accompanying increased adoption. More than half (52%) of respondents cite trust in AI-driven decisions as a major barrier to faster adoption, while 62% say improved data quality and integration would accelerate AI investment. Only 12% report that AI governance is fully embedded within their operations, while 67% believe accountability for AI-driven outcomes will require significant governance changes.

For customs, freight and logistics organisations, the findings reinforce the importance of maintaining high-quality data, establishing clear governance frameworks and ensuring appropriate human oversight as AI-enabled technologies become increasingly integrated into supply chain operations.