Mega Rail Freight proposals in North Warrington move towards next stage

Mega Rail Freight proposals in North Warrington move towards next stage

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By staff reporter on 26th August 2026 3:44 pmCulcheth Life, News

REPRESENTATIVES from local communities surrounding the proposed Intermodal Logistics Park North met earlier this week as the huge rail freight and logistics development moves towards its next stage.

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The meeting, organised by the Lane Head South Residents’ Group, brought together representatives from Lane Head South Residents’ Group, Lowton West Residents, Lowton East Neighbourhood Development Forum, Croft Parish Council, Winwick Parish Council, Culcheth & Glazebury Parish Council, Culcheth & Glazebury Residents Association, Wigan Council and St Helens Council, together with Jo Platt MP.

The meeting provided an opportunity to look at where the Intermodal Logistics Park North (ILPN) proposals currently stand, what has changed since the last consultation and how neighbouring communities can prepare for the next stages.

ILPN is a proposed Strategic Rail Freight Interchange and major logistics development on land east of Newton-le-Willows, close to the boundaries of St Helens, Warrington and Wigan.

The plans provide for approximately 767,000 square metres, or around 8.2 million square feet, of warehousing and associated floorspace, together with a new rail freight terminal.

At full operation, the terminal could accommodate up to 16 freight trains a day, equivalent to 32 train movements.

This IS NOT simply a railway development. Tritax’s published assessment models 395 two-way HGV movements during the busiest daytime hour, with 245 during the modelled busiest night-time hour.

These are hourly figures, not a daily total.

The plans also include 228 dedicated HGV parking spaces, comprising 143 associated with the rail terminal and 85 serving the logistics park, together with facilities for drivers.

Cllr Stuart Mann, (Burtonwood & Winwick) who attended Monday’s meeting alongside Cllr Norman Partington representing Croft Parish Council, (Wards that would directly border the proposed site) said: “When people hear ‘rail freight interchange’, it is easy to think this is mainly about trains. Rail is clearly a major part of it, but this would also be an enormous warehousing and road freight operation. The figures give residents some idea of the scale and explain why the highways work is so important.”

The traffic issue goes well beyond M6 Junction 22. The principal site access is proposed through Parkside Link Road East towards M6 Junction 22, but the transport implications extend considerably further.

The wider transport work includes M62 Junction 9 and the A49/Newton Road corridor through Winwick, as well as connections towards the M6 and the wider link-road network.

This means the updated transport assessment will need to explain not only what happens at Junction 22, but how ILPN traffic is distributed across the wider highway network.

Cllr Mann contiunued: “This isn’t simply a Junction 22 issue. The transport route extends to M62 Junction 9 and Newton Road through Winwick. Residents need to be able to see how much additional traffic is expected on those routes and what happens when the other development taking place around us is added into the equation.”

It was these very concerns about traffic that led to me and WBC to push for £6m of ringfenced funding for junction improvement works in Winwick as part of the Parkside Phase 2 scheme. I would expect further support or funding for roads if any future Rail Freight Scheme is approved, including ANPR managed routes.