The project will extend a freight site with an enhanced rail infrastructure.

The project, the Mersey Multimodal Gateway (3MG), is a partnership between Halton Borough Council, the Stobart Groupand and Prologis.

The partnership will remediate the land using the funding which was provided by the Regional Growth Fund.

Widnes Freight Park will be expanded, reclaiming acres of contaminated land and will make the movement of freight more sustainable.

The infrastructure will allow for the movement of freight by rail, connecting it with deep sea ports.

Freight on Rail, a partnership of Rail Freight Group, Network Rail, the transport trade unions and Campaign for Better Transport, has welcomed the environmental advantages of the project.

Philippa Edmunds from the group said: “This project ticks all the right economic, environmental and safety boxes, creating green jobs in a region which needs government regeneration support.

“Shifting long-distance freight off the road on to rail, which produces 70% less carbon dioxide emissions than the equivalent road journey, is essential if we are to reduce transport’s carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.

“Long-distance road freight needs to be transferred to rail and water by 2050 in order to fight climate change effectively.”

Alison Brown

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