Northbound container trains denied access to Ely currently have to travel 50 miles out of their way to join the West Coast Main Line via London, conflicting with others from DP World’s London Gateway port, Felixstowe’s biggest rival. The upgrade would remove the need for this costly and time-consuming work-around.
Mr Wright, at Freightliner, said the Ely project was “hugely significant”.
Mark Taylor, the logistics director at Hutchison Ports, which owns Felixstowe, said the Ely scheme was of “huge national importance”, both in terms of improving the efficiency and resilience of the UK supply chain and achieving net-zero emissions targets.
Another junction, Haughley, between Ely and Felixstowe, is the subject of plans to move to a double-track layout at a cost of £20m that would take three years to deliver.
In the longer term, container flows could be boosted by the planned east-west line between Oxford and Cambridge, which would provide a new route from both Felixstowe and Southampton, Britain’s third major container port, to the West Coast Main Line.
The opening of HS2 should also create 15 more freight paths on the West Coast Main Line, which carries the bulk of container flows bound for Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.
Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, was briefed on the Ely project on May 21, when Labour was still in opposition, and according to attendees, she indicated that she was keen for her party to commit to the plan.
In the event, Rishi Sunak called the general election the following day.
Freightliner’s Wright said: “We know Ely is a high priority for the Government, but whether that’s sufficient for it to be progressed in the coming round of industry spending remains to be seen.”
A Department of Transport spokesman said: “Economic growth is a key priority for this Government and we are committed to delivering transport infrastructure, which will play a vital role in our mission to rebuild Britain.
“A review of transport projects, including Ely and Haughley Junction, is ongoing and we will announce further details in due course.”