Today more people travel by rail than at any point since the 1920s - when the rail network was around twice its current size.
Every year 1.3 billion journeys are made on Britain’s railway and 100 million tonnes of freight is transported by rail between ports, factories and shops.
One million more trains run every year than just five years ago but the increasing popularity of rail means that, at peak times, there is no space for more trains on the busiest parts of the network.
Despite this, demand is still increasing. Over the next 30 years passenger demand for rail will more than double and freight demand is expected to go up by 140%.
To find out more, download our booklet Britain relies on rail (PDF).
Our mission
Our mission is to provide a safe, reliable and efficient railway fit for the 21st century.
We are investing in our workforce and introducing new technologies to achieve this mission.
When we took over the railway network in October 2002, we inherited an infrastructure that had been starved of investment for many years. There are around 35,000 of us at Network Rail who are working hard day and night to improve every aspect of the railway.
We have made enormous progress. Under our stewardship, the railway is already safer, more reliable and more efficient.
See how we are focusing to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the railway.
Our vision
Our vision is to improve the rail network by providing faster, more frequent and more reliable journeys between Britain’s towns and cities.
We aim to bring people and businesses closer together, making Britain more competitive and a better place to do business.
Rail investment helps to stimulate private sector growth and we are committed to growing the rail network to grow to accommodate business’s growing needs.
Investing in rail is one of the most effective ways to help grow Britain’s economy.
Our values
In order to deliver our vision of a safe, reliable and efficient railway for Britain, we have identified four values that shape the way that we work.
‘We are determined to improve the rail service for customers’ - Determination
‘We respect our environment, our communities and all the people we work with’ - Respect
‘We are all part of the same team and every contribution matters’ - Teamwork
‘We are passionate about what we do and take pride in a job well done’ - Pride