Cheshire East council is talking to rail bosses about a new rail freight base in Middlewich; if the scheme goes ahead, it could transform the Cheshire town into a major logistics hub. Middlewich which is close to junction 18 of the M6 motorway, is already home to around 2m sq ft of warehousing.
Now council leaders say the rail freight base – which could be linked to the HS2 high speed train line – will make the area a focus for warehousing and new jobs. Council officials said talks about the rail freight hub are in the early stages, and come as the result of an agreement with London and Continental Railways.
A Cheshire East council spokesperson said: “We are working with rail industry stakeholders to find the optimum solution for the UK in terms of rail freight and its growing needs arising from the Liverpool 2 Panamax terminal and the growth from the Northern Powerhouse.
“A rail freight base is needed that satisfies modern standards and has strong links to the West Coast Main Line but does not disrupt the growth in passenger rail.