Rail freight hub costing £5.75m opens in Peterborough

The new GB Railfreight hub in Peterborough is expected to create around 20 jobs

Transport Secretary MP Mark Harper has opened a £5.75m "one of its kind" rail maintenance hub.

The GB Railfreight (GBRf) hub covers an area larger than six Olympic swimming pools in Peterborough, next to the East Coast Mainline.

The facility has been built in 10 months and is fully powered by electricity which GBRf said would limit carbon emissions.

Mr Harper said it was "innovative" during his visit on Tuesday.

The hub would be able to analyse four wagons per shift, and use electric powered shunt engines and forklifts, GBRf said.

The new rail maintenance hub in Peterborough has been built on a derelict land next to the East Coast Mainline

GBRf said the new facility would be "key to unlocking GBRf's ambitious growth plans".

It added that it would be a "testbed" to provide solutions for customers who wanted to move a wider range of goods by rail, rather than by lorry on the road network.

Transport minister Mark Harper has called the new GB Rail Freight hub "innovative"

During his visit to mark the ceremonial opening of the facility, Mr Harper said: "This new facility will help deliver clean, safe and secure freight journeys while creating jobs and boosting the city's economy."

John Smith, GBRf's chief executive, said the company was "excited" about the part it was playing in making rail freight journeys more "eco-friendly".

He said it "demonstrates our commitment to continued investment and innovation".

"The role of the private sector cannot be understated as a tool to help Britain drive jobs and growth in its regional economies and achieve its net zero targets," he said.

"We are excited for the role we get to play in this important journey as we meet the demands of customers looking to decarbonise their supply chains."

The new hub on Maskew Avenue has been built on a derelict plot of land off Lincoln Road. It was expected to create around 20 jobs in the city.