The UK Government’s long-awaited Comprehensive Spending Review, announced on 11 June, outlined GB£20 billion in transport investment. However, much of the figure represents previously pledged funding. For the freight and intermodal logistics sector, the review delivers some useful signals on infrastructure support. Stakeholders have warned that the real economic impact will depend on execution.
As the UK’s long-term fiscal planning tool, the Spending Review sets government priorities over a multi-year horizon and carries greater weight than the twice-yearly national Budget. Chancellor Rachel Reeves placed transport high on the agenda, with a focus on growth and decarbonisation. While direct mention of freight was sparse, several projects carry clear potential for improving capacity and efficiency in Britain’s trade and logistics corridors.
Rail projects open east-west corridors
Among the most relevant projects for international trade is the GB£3.5 billion boost for the Transpennine Route Upgrade. This long-running rail modernisation scheme links major ports and logistics hubs through York, Leeds, and Manchester. The route supports containerised traffic from ports on the Humber and Mersey. Electrification and line speed improvements will help move more goods across the Pennines, enhancing low-carbon east–west intermodal flows.
Similarly, a further GB£2.5 billion for East West Rail – connecting Oxford and Cambridge – will support new rail freight opportunities in the UK’s economic heartland. After a rethink of the project, the line has been designed with freight capability added, offering potential to ease pressure on London and unlock new cross-country freight paths vital for port hinterland connections, particularly into the so-called “Logistics Golden Triangle” in the English Midlands. However, hopes that the Spending Review would fund the long-overdue Ely Area Capacity Enhancement – essential to growth in East Anglia and access to the Port of Felixstowe – were left unfulfilled, though the national infrastructure strategy expected later in June may revisit the issue.
Welsh freight link receives long-awaited support
One of the more targeted freight measures was found in Wales, where GB£445 million in new rail funding over ten years includes investment near Wrexham in the north of the principality. The upgrade will relieve pressure on the Bidston Line, a cross-border route connecting North Wales with Merseyside. The line provides a strategic, though contested, freight corridor linking the North Wales coast to Birkenhead and the wider Mersey port complex.
Unlocking capacity here would relieve tensions between passenger and freight operations and enable more efficient flows of bulk and intermodal traffic. Though modest in budget, the investment is seen by rail freight operators as a practical enabler of regional logistics.
Construction and clean energy shapes demand
Beyond the rail schemes, the Spending Review outlines ambitious plans for housebuilding, clean energy, and industrial development – all key drivers of construction logistics. Sectors like nuclear energy and infrastructure expansion require bulk materials such as aggregates, steel, and concrete, much of which is already carried by rail. If these initiatives move forward, they will stimulate long-term freight demand, both from ports and domestic terminals.
Kevin Green, Policy Director at Logistics UK, welcomed the review’s ambition but urged government to prioritise logistics in its delivery strategies. “Nothing, including the economy, moves without logistics,” he said. “It underpins every sector that our communities and businesses rely on. It is what turns building sites into houses, houses into homes and homes into communities where people can live and work.”
Industry calls for execution, not just ambition
While supportive of the Spending Review’s tone, Logistics UK and other stakeholders warned that execution is key. “To turn these pledges into economic growth, it is vital that the government prioritises the logistics sector,” Green said. The Railway Industry Association (RIA) similarly welcomed the recognition of rail’s role in growth and regional development. Their response pointed to opportunities for rail businesses in schemes such as the Midlands Rail Hub, Northern Powerhouse Rail, and further electrification.
However, both organisations emphasised the need for clear planning, private investment incentives, and supportive tax policy to enable logistics and intermodal operators to respond to growing demand. As a fiscal framework, the Spending Review offers a solid outline. But for UK freight operators and global partners relying on efficient British logistics, the strategy now must be backed by delivery.