The South West Freight Summary Report 2024–25 from Peninsula Transport outlines progress toward a more resilient and sustainable freight network across the region. While the report does not directly reference Bude or North Cornwall, it does include Cornwall within regional freight planning, and that matters. Freight plays a critical role in building the business case for rail investment — particularly in rural and peripheral areas like ours.
Why Freight Matters for Rail Investment
If freight is included in the planning of new or reopened rail routes, it significantly strengthens the economic case for rail in Cornwall.
Freight:
- Generates year‑round, predictable demand
- Improves viability for infrastructure investment
- Helps justify higher‑quality rail connections beyond passenger use alone via economic benefits
This is especially important for places like Bude, where passenger demand alone is often undervalued in national decision‑making.
Cornwall’s Role in the Freight Strategy
The report highlights progress at Cornwall rail‑linked freight sites, including Goonbarrow, Burngullow and Falmouth Docks, where discussions have taken place around restoring freight access. These examples show that Cornwall is being recognised as part of the South West’s freight economy; rail is still seen as relevant to supporting industry, ports, and supply chains.
Although there are no current freight proposals for North Cornwall, successful improvements for freight‑enabled rail elsewhere in Cornwall will strengthen the wider argument for improved rail connectivity across the county and improves the rail connection from Cornwall to the rest of the UK.
If future rail routes – including any serving North Cornwall – are designed to accommodate freight as well as passengers, they are:
- More likely to secure funding
- More resilient over the long term
- More attractive to regional and national decision‑makers
Connect Bude supports an integrated approach to transport planning where passenger and freight rail are considered together. Freight is not a distraction from better passenger rail – it is a key argument to bring back rail services to our region.
We welcome this report as a step toward a more joined‑up transport strategy for the South West and will continue to advocate for solutions that ensure North Cornwall is not left behind.
If you would like to be involved in Connect Bude’s work on transport and connectivity, please get in touch. Read more about the report here – https://www.peninsulatransport.org.uk/news-articles/south-west-freight-summary-report-2024-2025/
