For over 10 years Network Rail (and Railtrack before it) have been working with local authorities and industry stakeholders on a project known as F2N to improve the Felixstowe to Nuneaton railfreight route across East of England Region. This had been hampered for decades by lack of capacity, the need to reverse trains to negotiate incomplete junctions and a loading gauge which prevented the new larger transport containers from being carried. As a result, ever increasing container-carrying lorry traffic clogged up the A14.
One relatively quick fix to move the larger containers by rail was by raising the clearance through the Ipswich Tunnel – but this route was a long way round for freight destined for the Midlands and the North West. It led south through North London and then onto the West Coast Mainline, reducing capacity for passenger and commuter services.
With the development of the East Coast ports proceeding apace, it was decided to implement a series of rail improvement schemes to improve the capacity and efficiency of the region’s railfreight network to be carried out partly with European funding. These included new curves of track and flyovers at Nuneaton North and new bridges and junctions – Boss Hall Junction and Europa Junction – on the site of the old Harris Bacon factory at Ipswich.
Also crucial to the F2N project was the construction of two passing loops between Ely and Soham and the double tracking of the Felixstowe Branch Line.
Unfortunately, due to financial restraints elsewhere, the work between Ely and Soham was not started in time to meet the agreed deadline for the European funding and this resulted in the loss of the £4 million tranche for this section. Network Rail then decided to reschedule an enhanced project which was to provide for the double tracking of the entire Ely to Soham stretch. This would provide additional benefits in terms of flexibility and capacity and the saving within the simplified project, which would now not need four points and associated signalling, would make up for the lost £4 million contribution. They appeared to have recovered from their difficulty.
However, the Government has now ordered that the Ely to Soham work must be deferred – to the dismay of the railfreight industry and local authorities across the region.
In responding to the decision to halt the Ely to Soham capacity enhancement scheme on costs grounds, GB Railfreight Managing Director John Smith said that putting the Ely to Soham scheme on hold was “disappointing”. He called for a clarification of the investment requirements for the outstanding elements of F2N and of the capacity improvements that will be delivered when it is completed so that planning, investment and constriction can proceed in an orderly manner.
He went on to say,
“Of all schemes on the route the double tracking of the Felixstowe Branch Line remains the best value for money. It is vital that the Government completes this project in the current planning period. This double tracking will ensure that benefits from other earlier investments by Network Rail, such as the Nuneaton Chord and the Bacon Factory Curve, are fully exploited.”
Liberal Democrat Herts County Councillor and Opposition Transport Spokesman, Nick Hollinghurst, added,
“After five good years of transport infrastructure investment by the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government we are now back with the Tories. And we’re back with their back with their short termism and their lack of any long term vision. They claim to see a need for harsh austerity, which the rest of us do not. Although their belief might be that they are cutting the deficit and balancing the books, they are going about it the wrong way. By cutting back on investment which bring in efficiencies and cost saving they are setting the economy back, not moving it forward. Industry, business and the public will pay for these self-defeating cuts in terms of waste, inefficiency, lost business and jobs and a lower quality of life”