Chris Mole MP today (April 14th 2008) took a ride in the locomotive cab of a Freightliner train to see the condition of the East-West rail route out of the Haven Ports, before visiting the rail terminal in Felixstowe. 

The rail industry has welcomed the recent news that the Felixstowe to Nuneaton route is one that has been identified for Government funding to help promote the use of rail freight.

The funding, provided through the £132 million Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) will provide improvements such as gauge clerance to the stretch of railway track between Felixstowe and Nuneaton (via Peterborough) to allow rail freight growth to be transported along that line without the need to travel via London. The TIF funds will complement the investment being made in this line by Hutchinson Ports UK at the Port of Felixstowe as part of their expansion plans.

This funding was in addition to the £200 million announced last summer to invest in the establishment of a Strategic Freight Network.

This is a huge encouragement to sustain the use of rail freight in the UK from our key ports in the Eastern region. Rail freight is significantly more environmentally friendly than transporting goods by road, and also will help reduced congestion/noise pollution on key roads such as the A14.

Chris said:

"There has been a massive growth in freight travelling by rail and I am pleased to see the Government investing in the rail freight sector. There is much to be done to update this line, but I am encouraged a start is being made. Transferring freight off our roads and onto rail makes perfect sense. It is cleaner, greener and helps ports like Felixstowe keep competitive!

"The Great Eastern Line to London will become increasingly busy with developments like Crossrail, and we need an additional route for freight to leave the Haven ports.

"I know also that congestion on the A14 is a big issue for the people of Ipswich and increasing opportunities for freight to travel by rail is one key way of reducing pollution - both noise and CO2 - into our environment."

Lindsay Durham - Head of Rail Strategy at Freightliner said:

"We welcome the funding provided in order to make the necessary enhancements to this line. The numbers of containers entering the deep sea ports such as Felixstowe are set to increase and it is important that our rail network can support this growth.

"Freightliner currently moves 20% of all boxes that arrive in the port of Felixstowe - these developments will help to maintain this share and will continue to limit the number of lorries needed to transport goods to the Midlands, North West, North East and Scotland."

Chris travelled in the cab of a Freightliner service from Peterborough to Felixstowe before taking a tour of the rail terminal at Felixstowe.