Rail links could be key to easing M4 congestion, says Logistics UK

Monday 13 February 2023

New rail links announced between Wales and England are an encouraging step towards easing congestion on the M4 says Logistics UK. The news follows the UK and Welsh governments’ recent announcement of a new £2.7 million study to explore options for new rail links between the two countries. 

The study is in response to the findings of Lord Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review, in which one of his recommendations was an urgent need to relieve congestion on the M4. A range of options will now be considered, including the development of five brand new stations between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel, progressing the opportunities for modal shift. 

Jonas Keat, Policy Advisor – Wales, Logistics UK, comments: “Logistics UK supports the development of improved local transport in the region. In its response to the consultation for the Union Connectivity Review, Logistics UK affirmed the need for greater collaboration between the UK and Welsh governments on this issue. This is therefore a positive outcome which will help to ease congestion on the M4, and hopefully lead to a significant reduction in the amount of traffic hauliers face on the road going forwards.” 

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.