Rail freight network upgrade gets the green light

Nuneaton North Chord scheme will link cross-country rail route from Felixstowe to Nuneaton with the west coast main line to increase freight capacity.

The Department for Transport has announced permission for the Nuneaton North Chord scheme, which will upgrade the rail freight network.

The new 1km section of track will link the existing cross-country rail route from Felixstowe to Nuneaton with the west coast main line.

This will allow freight trains to travel directly to the economic markets in West Midlands and North West England without having to travel through north London and completion of the scheme will see freight trains travel through Nuneaton station without affecting passenger services, helping to reduce disruption and making the railway more reliable.

The Nuneaton North Chord forms an important part of Network Rail’s strategic freight network, a programme of investment to improve freight capacity across the UK railway. The scheme will provide for eight additional freight trains per day in each direction to and from Felixstowe.

Work on the Nuneaton North Chord is expected to start in spring 2011 and is expected to take around 18 months to complete.

Tim Cook, senior schemes sponsor at Network Rail said: "Rail currently transports over 100m tonnes of goods across the country. This is worth around £30bn per year and directly contributes £870m to the nation’s economy every year."

"As Britain’s imports increase we need to look at ways in which we can transport more goods around the country without putting additional pressure on roads. This scheme is an important part of helping us achieve this, whilst delivering a more efficient and reliable network for our passengers."

Further information:
Department for Transport