Today (25/02/2026) the Department for Transport (DFT) announced a deal with the Network Rail and its property development company Platform4 to see an £15m investment in the Barking Eurohub site in east London to transform it into an international logistics hub which would begin to see freight transported via rail through the channel tunnel.
Sojan Joseph, the MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages and his Labour colleague, Tony Vaughan, the MP for Folkestone and Hythe have been consistently lobbying the DFT and working with rail and freight companies to see a return of freight to rail as a means to alleviate the traffic caused by HGVs heading towards the channel, with the MPs making the case that cross channel freight to rail would mean 140,000 fewer heavy goods vehicles being on our roads each year.
The issue of HGVs on the M20 become a particular frustration to many residents when Operation Brock – a contraflow system introduced following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union – is implemented. The contraflow was originally designed to be used only in cases of emergencies, such as industrial action in France or bad weather; however, in recent months, the Kent and Resilience Forum have taken to using it as a precautionary measure during peak travel times, at a deployment cost of roughly £226,000 and an additional cost of almost £35,000 every 24-hours.
QUOTE
Sojan Joseph MP said:
“This is a huge win for my constituents across Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages.“The return of freight to rail will undoubtably relieve the congestion caused by channel-bound lorries on the M20, and therefore reduce the need to use Operation Brock – hopefully taking us a step closer to finding a permanent alternative to what I know is a huge frustration for so many residents.“This is good for the environment, good for the economy, and good for my constituents.”
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