Railfreight link is on track

Monday 19th January 2009, 12:35PM GMT.

An artist’s impression of how the terminal will lookThe £9 million Telford International Railfreight Park terminal and tracks are complete and will be opened in May, it was revealed today.

The terminal at Donnington is the first of its kind in the West Midlands and it is expected that each train will take 50 lorries off the roads.

Bosses at Transforming Telford believe the new railfreight link will help put Telford on the map.


  1. 1
    Devilschair

    Great news – how about speeding planning up and simplifying the process to create freight drop off points in as many villages and towns possible to operate a through delivery system.

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  2. 2
    Chris, Green Party

    Excellent news. The sooner the better. Cleaner air, more efficient energy use and less road congestion.

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  3. 3
    Brian

    First in the Midlands?
    Wake up. What about the one at Dudley, and the one at Daventry?
    Are they not in the Midlands?

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  4. 4
    Lost in telford

    Good news for the long haul aspect of he freight, but doesn’t it still mean just as many local lorries transporting goods to stores, factories etc?
    So little impact for Telford residents, possibly even negative impact if you are unlucky enough to live near the new terminal as there will be a greater concentration of lorries.

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  5. 5
    mr J

    Devilschair sounds like your not happy and you believe that there putting these terminals everywhere, well there not, there building this terminal for Hortonwood and the MOD, as everyone knows, lorries have to come from aboard and use roads like the M54 and the M6, instead the goods will come along on a great big train, and I have walked the route before the rails were put there and there isnt a load of houses near, the ones that are near have sound damping barriors installed. The Terminal is a better idea, 50 lorries = 50 drivers = 50 lots of wages, 1 train = 1 driver = 1 wage.

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  6. 6
    gh

    BRILLIANT FOR THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

    LETS HAVE MORE RAIL IN THIS COUNTRY I SAY

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  7. 7
    David Jones

    Err… “mr J”, Devilschair is supporting further railfreight depots, not opposing them.

    The trouble in getting them built however is not the planning process but Network Fail being useless and not wanting the hassle of new access points on “their” network.

    It would be great to open new stations and new freight facilities in many locations in the county. A railfreight facility was planned for Harlescott in Shrewsbury but it never happened.

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  8. 8
    Devilschair

    Ah, 1 big terminal creates lots of jobs – other smaller terminals all around the place also create jobs, if you want to play the jobs game. If stuff is delivered to a terminal there are going to be smaller short distance delivery vehicles required – and financial incentive to develop efficient small vehicles to suit.

    The M6 is going to gridlock some point in the future if we don’t shift (as many possible) trunk deliveries to rail and begin to think outside the cab on this, our prices will go up and others will take our trade anyway.

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  9. 9
    gh

    in view of the fact that everyone seems to think this is a great idea, why dont the government put more resources into rail?

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  10. 10
    Grey

    They do give plenty of money to rail, in London that is.

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  11. 11
    Ex Dudley Resident

    Railfreight Terminal in Dudley? – It shut 25 years ago!!!

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  12. 12
    shrewsbury resident

    well why cant we have one in Harlescott too?? It would really help reduce traffic around tesco, b&q and the waste and enterprise park sites, surely it would be good thing for the town?

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  13. 13
    Devilschair

    The road transport lobby is very strong in the UK. It’s easy for any govt to talk about transport systems but any implementation of them is undermined at all levels.
    Ask your councillor if they would support new railyards at convenient locations in your location. If they won’t – start a campaign to get one.

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  14. 14
    Tory Boy

    typical labour solution imposing a big regional project on us rather than lots of little local stations in our villages – more of my taxes subsidising this no doubt

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  15. 15
    kevin hardy

    if there any factories left t supply wel,l be lucky.by the time anybody comes up with a new transport initiative,there is so much consultation,areas of o/s natural beauty,rare species of god knows what etc.people will certainly have lots of time t views these objects. incidentally whilst on the subject why can,t papers publish these findings of rare beauty so we can all share in it

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  16. 16
    mike the mechanic

    but isnt it a Tory Council who approved this for planning and isnt it official Tory policy to spend big on high speed rail? Whilst cutting taxes at the same time of course! and claiming to be the party of the motorist! LOL

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  17. 17
    Rob, Telford

    mike the mechanic said:

    “but isnt it a Tory Council who approved this for planning”

    Err, no, it was approved by the previous Labour administration. But what makes you think that council policy is decided by elected councillors, of whatever political leaning?

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