£3.9billion a year in tax is generated by the railway and its suppliers, returning to the public purse almost all of the £4billion that the government invests in rail.
Total freight volumes have increased by over 80%, from 13.5billion net tonne km in 1995 to 24.2billion net tonne km in 2013-14.
Freight operators are carrying 88% more tonnes per train than in 2002-03.
