Track improvements at the Lafarge Rail Terminal at Mountsorrel are bringing benefits for both passenger and freight services on the Midland main line.

Freight traffic is now entering and leaving the site faster – improving their efficiency and clearing the four tracks of the mainline to allow passenger services through.

Mark Tarry, area general manager for Network Rail, said: “The East Midlands relies on rail – on freight trains transporting products and keeping lorries off the roads and on passenger services helping people to move around the region. As the railway continues to grow, we will need to create flexibility on the railway and more importantly, room to cater to future demand. This scheme underscores our commitment and the importance to invest in the future of our railway”.

Freight can now arrive/depart Mountsorrel Sidings at 15mph where before it was limited to 5mph. This means that, on average, freight trains will clear the mainline two and half minutes quicker than they used to. It was achieved by lifting the tracks and increasing the ballast which supports it, improving the gradient profile and allowing trains to travel at higher speeds.

Mark Tarry added: “The improved layout will also allow us to get services back to normal more quickly following any incidents. I’d like to thank Lafarge for their support and for providing the ballast for this job.”