With service and reliability levels below where they need to be, the European and UK rail sectors have embarked on separate strategies to improve operations and grow cargo volume on their networks.

UK and EU negotiators are currently locked in negotiations to try to arrive at an agreement in time for an emergency November summit, but with a persistent lack of clarity over cross-channel trade and no clear strategy guidance from London or Brussels, the supply chain is already well into its Plan B.

This could be the best of times for Europe’s rail freight operators: the dominant trucking sector is short drivers and capacity, fuel prices are rising, and toll roads are boosting rates; meanwhile, barges still face congestion at Rotterdam and Antwerp. But can rail seize the day?

With 14,000 trucks crossing the UK-EU border every day and 53 percent of UK imports originating in Europe, shippers and logistics service providers are planning for the consequences of lengthy delays at border points should negotiations not result in a Brexit deal.