Guidance

Apply for grant funding to transport freight by rail and water

Explains how to access funding to transport freight by rail and water, rather than by road, and provides details of grants awarded.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 22 July 2013
• Last updated: 24 July 2024 — See all updates

Documents

Mode Shift Revenue Support and Waterborne Freight Grant applications: overview

HTML

Mode Shift Revenue Support and Waterborne Freight Grant awards since December 2014

CSV, 132 KB

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Guide to Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme

PDF, 632 KB, 31 pages

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Guide to the Waterborne Freight Grant scheme

PDF, 327 KB, 38 pages

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Intermodal traffic details form (ODS version)

ODS, 5.08 KB

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Bulk traffic details form (ODS version)

ODS, 6.46 KB

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Waterborne Freight Grant financial summary table (ODS version)

ODS, 4.88 KB

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Intermodal application form (ODS version)

ODS, 12 KB

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Bulk and Waterways application form (ODS version)

ODS, 12 KB

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Waterborne Freight Grant application form (ODS version)

ODS, 15.3 KB

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Details

These guidance documents and forms should be used to apply for funding from the Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) scheme and Waterborne Freight Grant (WFG) scheme.

These environmentally beneficial schemes provide funding to supplement the additional costs incurred if companies move freight by rail or water, rather than by road.

Details of the grants awarded has also been published.

Mode Shift Revenue Support grant scheme 2020 to 2025

The MSRS scheme for 2020 to 2025 has 2 funding options for companies moving freight within the UK.

Intermodal MSRS funding

Intermodal funding is for companies transporting intermodal units by rail, such as containers, swap bodies or piggyback trailers.

Bulk and waterways MSRS funding

Bulk and waterways funding supports non-containerised freight movement by rail and freight transported by inland waterway.

Waterborne Freight Grant scheme 2020 to 2025

The WFG scheme applies to coastal and short sea shipping assisting a company for up to 3 years.

Separate guidance is available for routes which start or end in Scotland (PDF, 245 KB).

Published 22 July 2013
Last updated 24 July 2024 + show all updates

1. 24 July 2024

   '30 August 2024, Rail Period 7' closing date removed.

2. 6 March 2024

   Temporary grant rates for 2023 to 2024 information added.

3. 19 December 2023

   Bid round dates for 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 period added.

4. 11 January 2023

   Update to information on industrial action in regards to Mode Shift Revenue Support and Waterborne Freight Grant applications.

5. 22 December 2022

   Updated application closing dates.

6. 5 July 2022

   Overview guidance document updated to reflect proposals for temporary variations to freight grant rates following the recent, and potentially further, rail strikes.

7. 28 January 2022

   Updated MSRS guidance has been published.

8. 6 December 2021

   Addition of Mode Shift Revenue Support application closing dates and forms for 2022 to 2023 and update to the awards listing January 2021 to August 2021.

9. 27 April 2021

   Updated with latest grant awards from December 2020 and January 2021.

10. 19 November 2020

    The 'background information' document has been updated with application closing dates for the financial year 2021 to 2022.

11. 23 September 2020

    The guidance has been updated to reflect the August 2020 MSRS bid round.

12. 3 August 2020

    The guidance has been updated to reflect the June 2020 MSRS bid round.

13. 18 May 2020

    Postal application option removed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

14. 3 February 2020

    Application forms updated.

15. 23 January 2020

    December 2019 awards added.

16. 16 October 2019

    August 2019 awards added.

17. 5 June 2019

    May 2019 awards added.

18. 23 April 2019

    December 2018 awards added.

19. 7 January 2019

    August 2018 grant funding amounts released.

20. 1 August 2018

    June 2018 awards announced.

21. 3 July 2018

    May 2018 awards released.

22. 24 April 2018

    Closing application dates for June 2018, May, August and December 2019 added.

23. 6 February 2018

    Grant funding for August and December 2017.

24. 4 July 2017

    Grant funding for May 2017 released.

25. 5 April 2017

    January 2017 grant funding to transport freight by rail and water.

26. 19 January 2017

    December 2016 grant funding to transport freight by rail and water.

27. 7 November 2016

    Grant funding provided to support the transportation of freight by rail and water release along with guidance for future funding.

28. 30 June 2016

    Details of grant funding provided to support the transportation of freight by rail and water in June 2016.

29. 26 May 2016

    Details of grant funding provided to support the transportation of freight by rail and water in March 2016.

30. 24 February 2016

    Details of grant funding provided to support the transportation of freight by rail and water in January 2016.

31. 17 February 2016

    'Supplementary guidance for Mode Shift Revenue Support and Waterborne Freight Grant Schemes, February 2016' published.

32. 26 January 2016

    September 2015 bid round outcome.

33. 19 January 2016

    Latest supplementary guidance for January 2016 published, alongside a link to a letter seeking views on 2 proposed administrative changes to the Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme.

34. 11 September 2015

    Details of grant funding provided to support the transportation of freight by rail and water in June 2015.

35. 9 March 2015

    Added grant funding from the Sustainable Distribution Fund following the January 2015 bid round.

36. 9 January 2015

    December 2014 grant funding list to support the transportation of freight by rail and water released.

37. 23 December 2014

    Added supplementary guidance for the Mode Shift Revenue Support and Waterborne Freight Grant Schemes, December 2014.

38. 28 October 2014

    Added 'Grant funding to support the transportation of freight by rail and water, October 2014'

39. 20 October 2014

    Added Supplementary Guidance for the Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) and Waterborne Freight Grant (WFG) schemes, October 2014.

40. 19 August 2014

    Added 'Grant funding to support the transportation of freight by rail and water, June 2014'

41. 17 February 2014

    Added 'Grant funding to support the transportation of freight by rail and water, January 2014'

42. 13 November 2013

    September 2013 grant funding to transport freight by rail and water information released.

43. 22 July 2013

    Supplementary guidance Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) and Waterborne Freight Grant (WFG) schemes bid round dates, June 2013 added.

44. 22 July 2013

    First published.

45. 2 July 2013

    Grant funding to support the transportation of freight by rail and water, June 2013 added.

46. 4 April 2013

    February 2013 bid round awards added.

47. 21 September 2012

    Summary of the awards made during December 2012.