The whole strategy of rail investment is geared to removing such trains from the London area, to run instead via the cross-country route through Ely, Peterborough and on to Nuneaton. Further, there are major challenges connecting the Alconbury site to the East Coast Main Line to route trains in and out of the terminal. Magna Park Peterborough, on the other hand, lies adjacent to the cross-country route from Felixstowe that is being upgraded and which connects northwards into the East Coast Main Line through an existing junction.

The rail terminal at Magna Park will be purpose-built, with a run-around loop for the engines to turn, and will accommodate the longest expected trains without the need for shunting. It is a simple railway-engineering task to connect the sidings into the rail line. We would like to build the sidings early so that some construction materials can be delivered by train.

Each new freight train removes the equivalent of 35-40 lorries from the road, and the length of the sidings will be such that longer trains can be accommodated,

making each train even more efficient than road. There will be around 75,000 lorry journeys fewer a year thanks to Magna Park Peterborough. And for each tonne of freight moved by rail, about 10% less carbon is emitted than if it were moved by lorry. There are similar benefits for other emissions too.