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Improving the railway from Felixstowe to Nuneaton involves:

• Gauge enhancements between Peterborough and Nuneaton to ensure the entire route can carry the larger, more economical freight containers increasingly preferred by global shipping firms
• Capacity enhancements between Ipswich and Peterborough: (i) a new 1km stretch of track, or chord, north of Ipswich goods yard, linking the East Suffolk and Great Eastern lines (ii) two 775m sections of track east of Ely station to enable better regulation of trains through the junctions at Ely iii) signalling works at Kennett / Bury St Edmunds
• A flyover north of Nuneaton station that will allow freight trains from Peterborough to join the West Coast Main Line without the need to cross it at grade.

The Felixstowe to Nuneaton freight upgrade scheme will bring the following benefits:

Vehicles off the road
The Port of Felixstowe has increased rapidly in size over the past few years. When the Felixstowe South redevelopment is completed and the new Bathside Bay container terminal has been built at Harwich around 2020, these combined Haven Ports will have more than doubled their pre-2010 capacity.

This growth in freight from Haven Ports will have a major impact on transport in the area and it is estimated this scheme will enable the transfer of up to 750,000 lorry freight journeys a year by 2030 from Britain’s roads to the railway. This will help reduce carbon emissions and ease traffic congestion on the road network, particularly on the A14, where congestion is estimated to cost the region £80m each year.

Environmental
Rail is also one of the most environmentally sustainable forms of transport. Rail freight produces 76% less carbon dioxide than road freight per tonne carried, so the greater transfer of freight from road to rail as a result of this scheme will significantly reduce carbon emissions and help the UK reduce its carbon footprint.

Efficiency
Rail can be a cheaper, quicker and a more practical way for businesses to transport their goods around the country and beyond.

Economic growth
The upgraded rail freight link will improve the competitiveness and encourage economic growth within the Anglia region and across Britain. This project will also make it easier to import and export goods, helping Britain compete more effectively in the global market.

The value of freight:

• The British economy relies on rail freight to the tune of £870m a year
• Rail transports over 100m tonnes of goods worth around £30bn every year
• The freight sector supports employment 14 times the number employed directly in the industry (66.6k compared to 4.7k )
• In total the UK freight sector contributes £299m in profits and wages to the UK economy
• Rail freight generates £185k worth of output per employee almost double the national average (£89k)
• The societal benefits from a shift from road to rail equate to £376m (2007/8) and up to £903m if it grows by 140% (2031). This would be a lot higher if the loss of Treasury revenue from road tax (due to taking lorries off the roads) was not taken into account
• Rail freight demand is predicted to grow by 30% over the next decade and up to 140% over 30 years
• Without the railway, the anticipated growth in freight traffic over the next 30 years would mean an extra 1.5 million lorry journeys on Britain’s roads each year
• The Eddington Study estimated that the time lost as a result of road congestion costs the British economy £7-8bn every year and is likely to be at least £24bn by 2025
• Freight also helps minimise road congestion – every freight train takes around 60 lorries off the road.