Felixstowe branch line upgrade gets the go-ahead

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Network Rail has been given the green light to begin a £60.4 million improvement project on the branch line that connects the Port of Felixstowe with the Great Eastern main line.

A second line will be constructed between Trimley station and the Grimston Lane foot crossing, boosting freight capacity on the route.

Upgrading that section of line to a double-track railway will allow an additional 14 freight trains to operate each day – up to 47 trains in total.

The project, which will also include either closing or upgrading various level crossings along the route, is being funded through the Strategic Freight Network and a contribution from the company that owns the Port of Felixstowe: Hutchison Ports UK.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “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.”