Freight News, Rail


Report calls for upgrade to Felixstowe rail route

[ June 17, 2026   //   ]

A report by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has called for an upgrade to rail infrastructure around Ely, saying that it is essential for regional growth. Ely is a pinch-point on the route from the port of Felixstowe to the Midlands and North, a junction between five lines.

The Growth Intersection report says that the £466m Ely Area Capacity Enhancement would deliver a five-fold return on investment to the economy, as well as improving passenger rail services in Cambridgeshire and the East.

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow said that failing to sort out rail capacity around Ely would hold back the local economy’s potential to create jobs and opportunity, and drive economic growth. 

The project would also take freight away from the roads, removing 98,000 HGV journeys from the A14 each year.

The Combined Authority and its partners are already exploring funding routes and establishing a strategic taskforce to engage Government to move the project forward. 

Paul Bristow said: “This new report once again highlights the exceptional potential of opening up this new gateway to the whole East of England economy. Returning £5 to our economy for every £1 spent, this investment will repay itself many times over and help deliver my ambition to triple the size of our local economy.”

Tags: