🕒 Article read time: 2 minutes
Why a capacity upgrade at Ely Junction is of national importance
Ely Junction is a crucial railway interchange with multiple railway lines connecting important economic hubs such as London, the East of England, the Midlands, and beyond. However, congestion and delays are all too common at the junction; it is also operating at full capacity.
Network Rail developed a proposal for the Ely area capacity enhancement (EACE) programme, a scheme to upgrade the railway to allow more trains to run through the junction, enabling more businesses to move freight across the network, unlocking opportunities for modal shift, and contributing to an efficient, effective and lower-carbon national transport network.   
CLEAR BENEFITS
“We need to see a significant increase in the capacity for rail freight operations on the network as a whole,” says Ellis Shelton, Policy Advisor at Logistics UK.
“Improving rail capacity at significant bottleneck locations such as Ely Junction – where restricted speeds, signalling limitations and level crossings are a barrier to meeting increased demand for freight paths – is essential to accommodate businesses shifting their logistics operations from road to rail.”  
The Ely Junction upgrade would help to meet the demand for more rail freight services between the Port of Felixstowe – a key international trading hub and the UK’s busiest container port – the West Midlands and the North.  
“Implementation of the programme would increase connectivity to global markets, help to address regional economic disparities, unlock economic growth, assist in the transition to a net zero economy – as freight is moved off the roads and onto rail – and to ensure the rail network is delivering the capacity and standard of service businesses require,” says Shelton.  
The programme would – annually – allow an additional 2,900 freight services to operate to and from Felixstowe, remove 98,000 lorry journeys off the road, reduce congestion by 5.6m hours, and – with rail transport is a greener alternative to road or air travel – reduce carbon emissions by 1.7m tonnes of COâ‚‚ over 60 years, as detailed in the report, ‘Keeping Trade on Track’, by England’s Economic Heartland (EEH) and Transport East. 
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE  
Logistics UK added its signature to a joint letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, urging the government to fund key rail improvements to Ely junction. The letter was prepared by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, also strong advocates of the scheme.  
“Logistics UK is urging the government to release funding and proceed with the upgrade as soon as possible,” says Shelton.
“While there may be concerns regarding the cost of the programme, estimated to be £466 million, the benefits outweigh the costs significantly, with research showing a return of £4.89 for every £1 invested.”  
“Logistics UK will continue to work with its members to ensure the rail sector has the infrastructure it requires to grow and accommodate the UK’s freight needs,” says Shelton. 
*www.logistics.org.uk/campaigns   
Published On: 20/07/2023 14:00:00
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