Rail freight

FTA Welcomes key cross-London rail freight route announcement

The Freight Transport Association has welcomed the announcement by the Department for Transport of £18.5 million funding from the Transport Innovation Fund for the Gospel Oak to Barking diversionary freight route enhancement to provide additional and diversionary freight capacity.

FTA has long been pressing for this work to take place, to allow a gauge-cleared diversionary freight route for 9'6" containers. This will be important during engineering work on the North London Line planned for the Olympics upgrades and other cross-London work.

Chris MacRae, FTA's Rail Freight Service Manager said, 'This work is vital to allow extra freight capacity and a diversionary route for the increasing volumes of container and other traffic coming across London. This is not just important for London and the south-east, but for the UK as a whole, because containerised imports from the south-east ports have to cross London to access the Midlands, the North and Scotland.

'Cross-London rail freight capability forms a pivotal part of the UK's core freight network supporting the UK's wider supply chain.'

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