Plans have been approved for a £60.4 million railway upgrade scheme between Ipswich and Felixstowe.

The scheme, which has been given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State for Transport and the Port of Felixstowe, will see a second track installed between Trimley station and Grimston Lane foot crossing on the Felixstowe branch line, increasing freight and train services.

Network Rail engineers will start clearing vegetation in preparation for building the second track in the coming months. A TWAO application was submitted earlier this year to close six level crossings as part of the project. A public inquiry will be held early next year, with four level crossings also being upgraded.

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Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail's route managing director for Anglia, said: "We're improving the Felixstowe branch line to provide a step change for rail freight in Suffolk and beyond as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.

"We're supporting the growth of the UK economy by enabling more goods to be transported on the railway and reducing the number of lorries on the road. The work will also create a safer and more reliable railway for passengers travelling between Ipswich and Felixstowe."

(LM)