{"id":571449,"date":"2026-10-08T17:02:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=74842"},"modified":"2026-10-08T17:02:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T07:02:24","slug":"more-hurdles-for-manchester-replacement-freight-terminal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=571449","title":{"rendered":"More hurdles for Manchester replacement freight terminal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plans for the proposed Intermodal Logistics Park North (ILP North) are facing growing opposition from local politicians and residents, despite the strategic case for additional rail freight capacity in the North West of England. Not least is a subtle but significant shift in the position of the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, now an elected local MP and UK Prime Minister. The 500-acre (202 hectares) development, also known as Parkside, would include a terminal capable of handling up to 16 trains a day and around 8.2 million sq ft (about 762,000 sq m) of warehousing. However, Wigan Council has now formally opposed the scheme where it affects its borough.<\/strong>
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ILP North is being promoted by Tritax as a nationally significant infrastructure project. That means the final decision will rest with the UK government, following examination by the Planning Inspectorate. Tritax plans further consultation on highways, noise and air quality in early 2027, followed by a Development Consent Order application in the second quarter. The timetable means the scheme remains active, but the latest political developments add another layer of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Rail freight and the Trafford Park question<\/h2>\n

ILP North has acquired particular significance because of proposals to relocate Freightliner’s Trafford Park operation. Greater Manchester Combined Authority commissioned work on a business case for the \u201crelocation of Freightliner from Trafford Park to ILP North (St Helens)\u201d under Project Slate. A separate GMCA contract refers to the potential relocation as Project Quarry.<\/p>\n

\"An
The Parkside East project showing the transport connections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The proposed move is closely linked to redevelopment plans around Manchester United’s Old Trafford football stadium. Andy Burnham, when Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram worked on the proposed relocation, which would release the Trafford Park site for wider regeneration. However, moving the terminal would not by itself solve Manchester’s wider rail capacity problem. The subnational body, Transport for the North, says the Castlefield corridor remains congested, with additional infrastructure needed to accommodate further freight associated with the TransPennine Route Upgrade.<\/p>\n

Strategic case meets local opposition<\/h2>\n

The strategic case for ILP North rests partly on its access to both the West Coast Main Line and Manchester – Liverpool Chat Moss route. Transport for the North says terminals such as ILP North, and a separate development at Port Salford, are needed to prevent additional Manchester-bound freight from being forced through Castlefield. Tritax says the site could create up to 6,000 jobs and form part of the Liverpool City Region Freeport.<\/p>\n

\"Intermodal
Intermodal containers and general cargo at Liverpool, which could generate much more rail freight in future. Image: \u00a9 Peel Ports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The local concerns are different. Wigan Council unanimously backed a motion on 23 September opposing the development insofar as it affects land in Wigan Borough and communities around Lowton. The council cited impacts on Lowton, loss of protected land and whether sufficient direct benefits would accrue locally. Around 180 acres (73ha) of the scheme lies within Wigan, although most of the development is in neighbouring St Helens.<\/p>\n

Roads, Port Salford and a divided political picture<\/h2>\n

The road implications are also becoming a significant issue. Tritax’s traffic modelling estimates that heavy goods vehicle movements would principally use the M6, M62 and A580, with the site accessed directly from M6 Junction 22 through the proposed Parkside Link Road. Local representatives have warned that traffic could also affect Winwick, Croft, Lowton and surrounding communities.<\/p>\n

\"Andy
Since moving from Mayor to Prime Minister, Andy Burnham has adjusted his view on development at Parkside. Image: \u00a9 GMCA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Port Salford offers another potential part of the answer. Greater Manchester has identified both the Peel Ports development at Port Salford, just west of Manchester and on the Manchester Ship Canal, and ILP North as future freight terminals. Peel is continuing to work with Network Rail and other partners on the rail connection at Port Salford. Its planned terminal is also designed for up to 16 trains a day, although the rail spur remains undelivered. Port Salford has previously been promoted as a tri-mode terminal: river, road and rail.<\/p>\n

ILP North Prime Ministerial shift<\/h2>\n

The political picture is consequently becoming less straightforward. David Baines, now MP for St Helens North, has supported the Parkside proposal, saying: \u201cLabour have recognised this potential for a long time and that’s why we’ve worked so hard for so many years to transform this former colliery site.\u201d Andy Burnham, meanwhile, supported the Trafford Park relocation<\/a> as mayor, but subsequently indicated to councils that he would support the Tritax proposals only if mitigation was provided for Lowton. He is now Prime Minister and MP for neighbouring Makerfield.<\/p>\n

ILP North<\/a> is now at the intersection of several competing priorities. There is an identified need for additional rail freight capacity in the region. The future of Trafford Park seems destined for urban regeneration. Meanwhile, Manchester’s continuing rail congestion, regional logistics growth and the effects of large-scale development on local communities are all under scrutiny. The strategic case remains, but so do significant planning and political obstacles before the proposed replacement for Trafford Park can become reality. Whether that replacement will be at Parkside is far from settled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plans for the proposed Intermodal Logistics Park North (ILP North) are facing growing opposition from local politicians and residents, despite the strategic case for additional\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2566,15227,343,15176,106,471,15046,78,47,9482,85,4246],"tags":[12634],"class_list":["post-571449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-burnham","category-ilp-north","category-infrastructure","category-intermodal-logistics-park-north","category-manchester","category-news","category-parkside","category-rail-freight","category-rail-news","category-st-helens","category-uk","category-wigan","tag-railfreight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t