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Fate of major £550m rail freight hub hangs in balance

editor

Plans to build a £550 million rail freight hub in the Leicestershire countryside are in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate. 

Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI)
Credit: Tritax Symmetry
by Rory ButlerFebruary 13, 2023

Property developer Tritax Symmetry aims to build the new Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI) on a 440-acre site between Hinckley and the village of Elmesthorpe. 

The major development would span more than 9 million sq ft and connect to Leicester and Birmingham rail lines. 

A new slip road onto the M69 is also proposed.  

But despite claims by the developer – the logistics development arm of FTSE 250 company Tritax Big Box REIT plc – that it could create 8,400 jobs, the scheme has seen pushback over its scale.  

A public consultation has now concluded.  

Blaby District Council has two weeks to submit its findings to the Planning Inspectorate, who has until 6 March to decide the fate of the application. 

HNRFI is located between the West Coast Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, on Network Rail’s Strategic Freight line connecting the deep-sea ports of Felixstowe and London Gateway to the midlands and the north. 

“Tritax Symmetry (Hinckley) Ltd is bringing forward proposals for the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange at junction 2 of the M69,” wrote Tritax. “The scheme is considered to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).” 

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