Felixstowe branch line to receive £60.4 million upgrade

This will see a second track installed between Trimley station and Grimston Lane foot crossing on the Felixstowe branch line, which will allow up to 47 freight trains to run per day – 14 more trains than can currently run on the single line.

Each train can carry the equivalent of 60 lorry loads, meaning fewer lorries on busy roads.

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

As part of this project (which is funded through the Strategic Freight Network, with a contribution from Hutchinson Ports UK), Network Rail has also submitted a TWAO for the closure of six level crossings, with an aim for four level crossings to be upgraded.