An independent study published by Greengauge 21 on 1 October 2026, in partnership with Jonathan Roberts Consulting, maps new rail freight routes from the Port of Liverpool that bypass Manchester. The report was commissioned by Rimrose Valley Friends, with support from Transport Action Network and funding from the Foundation for Integrated Transport. It follows a campaign that ran from 2017 to 2024 against the Port of Liverpool Access Road proposed by National Highways.
The study confirms that only about 2 % of the port’s containers move by rail, a share that is lower than at many other major UK ports. The port’s rail container terminal currently handles only whisky exports, and its daily container train to Glasgow uses the Liverpool–Manchester line to Newton‑le‑Willows before joining the West Coast Main Line. Rail also transports roughly 2 million tonnes of biomass from Gladstone Dock to Drax power station via a route that crosses Manchester.
Greengauge 21 identifies Manchester as the main constraint, noting that neither the Transpennine Route Upgrade nor current Northern Powerhouse Rail proposals would resolve the issue. The West Coast Main Line is also near capacity, limiting north‑south freight movements. The alternative route proposed in the report starts north from Seaforth via Ormskirk to Preston, requiring electrification to Preston, restoration of double track where needed, and a short link near Lostock Hall (Tardy Gate). Freight would then run through Blackburn, with trains to Scotland joining the Settle & Carlisle line at Hellifield, and services for Yorkshire, the Humber and North East England turning at Rose Grove onto the Calder Valley line. Gauge clearance work would be needed for container trains on the Rose Grove‑Yorkshire section.
Greengauge 21 estimates that the required improvements could be delivered within five to ten years, subject to further investigation and investment. The report does not provide a cost figure but describes the capital costs as modest compared with recent programmes. It calls for a joint study team involving the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Sefton Council, Peel Ports, Network Rail, the rail freight industry, the Department for Transport and Great British Railways to refine the options and assess feasibility.
