North of England multimodal rail hub plans
Newton-le-Willows is at a junction, literally. The North of England community lies equidistant from Manchester and Liverpool. It has easy access to the English motorway network.
Even more conveniently, it's at the railway junction of the Transpennine route, and the West Coast Main Line. No surprise then, that it could be the next name on the intermodal rail freight map. Tritax Big Box REIT, a London-based "real estate investment trust", has proposed a vast logistics hub for Newton-le-Willows.
A public consultation begins today (Monday 27 January). The outline plans include rail-served warehouse space of three-quarters of a million square metres (over eight million square feet). The site has already been designated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).
Junction of two major railway lines
According to the developers, Intermodal Logistics Park North would deliver a modern distribution and warehouse park linked to both the strategic rail freight and road networks.
Tritax Big Box say that the development could support up to 6,000 jobs and add about GBP175m (EUR205m) per annum to the regional economy.
Location of the proposed Intermodal Logistics Park North. Image: (C) Tritax
The site is strategically located between Liverpool and Manchester, around 25km from each city. It has direct access to the UK's West Coast Main Line - the busy mixed traffic route connecting London and Scotland.
It also sits adjacent to the Transpennine route, which connects several cities in the North of England on an east-west alignment. Both routes are the subject of ongoing capacity upgrades. "These rail links provide access to the UK's coastal ports, offering the potential to facilitate a significant shift from road to rail freight to move goods in and out of the North West," says a statement from Tritax.
United on solving Manchester's rail freight need
At the same time as this new proposal, uncertainty hangs over an existing intermodal rail freight terminal, nearby at Trafford Park in Manchester. The established facility at Trafford Park is being coveted by its next-door neighbour - Manchester United.
The football club is proposing to rebuild its stadium[1], and redevelop the land around it - including the rail infrastructure. Intermodal Logistics Park North at Newton-le-Willows could address that potential loss.
Public consultation documents from Tritax for ILP(N) feature the proposed rail freight terminal. Image: (C) Tritax
Another nearby rail terminal, just south of Liverpool at Widnes, has expansion ambitions and recently attracted extra traffic[2].
Add to that the fact that Liverpool has a UK government-designated freeport, and there is an attractive set of economic circumstances for growth in the region. The proposed site is also near a now cancelled high speed passenger rail project. The economic incentives seem to stack up in favour of the development.
However, the area is already heavily developed, and other such projects elsewhere have been met with vociferous opposition.
Vital hub for trade and logistics
Tritax Big Box has begun a non-statutory consultation on their plans for Newton-le-Willows[3]. "It has been a long-held ambition of [the local authorities at] St Helens Borough Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to bring such a development forward," said David Travis, Head of Tritax's Manchester Office. "The development of an SRFI at this location is an integral part of Liverpool City Region's Freeport and is aligned with the UK Government's target to increase rail freight by at least 75% by 2050." Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has already called the proposal a game-changer for the Newton-le-Willows area. "This is exactly the kind of investment we need to strengthen our position as a vital hub for trade and logistics. With its strategic location and the support of the Liverpool City Region Freeport[4], this project will help drive economic growth, improve connectivity, and open up new opportunities for local people.
I look forward to working with Tritax Big Box Developments and all our partners to make this a reality."
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References
- ^ proposing to rebuild its stadium (www.railfreight.com)
- ^ recently attracted extra traffic (www.railfreight.com)
- ^ their plans for Newton-le-Willows (www.tritaxbigbox.co.uk)
- ^ Liverpool City Region Freeport (www.railfreight.com)
- ^ See the offer (www.railfreight.com)