The Secretary of State for Transport and the Port of Felixstowe have given the green light to a £60.4m (EUR 68 million) scheme to increase freight services and create a more reliable railway for passengers travelling between Ipswich and Felixstowe. The project will see a second track installed between Trimley station and Grimston Lane foot crossing on the Felixstowe branch line. This will allow up to 47 freight trains to run per day, 14 more trains than can currently run on the single line. Each train can carry the equivalent of 60 lorry loads, meaning fewer lorries on busy roads such as the A14.
Network Rail is delivering the project, which will enable more goods to be transported by rail. In the coming months, engineers will start clearing vegetation in preparation for building the second track.
The project will bring about a step change for the railway in the east, paving the way for potential improvements to the cross country line, and is funded through the Strategic Freight Network, with a contribution from Hutchison Ports UK.
“We’re improving the Felixstowe branch line to provide a step change for rail freight in Suffolk and beyond as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan. We’re supporting the growth of the UK economy by enabling more goods to be transported on the railway and reducing the number of lorries on the road. The work will also create a safer and more reliable railway for passengers travelling between Ipswich and Felixstowe,” Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said.
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