"bobrayner" wrote

If Felixstowe traffic is to avoid London, wouldn't it reverse at
Ipswich? Avoiding this by adding a curve to the existing junction
would be nontrivial. At first glance there only seems to be room for a
*very* tight curve on the available land; any more and you have to
deal with the industrial park / residential area / supermarket to the
north... No?

Reversing at Ipswich isn't too much of a problem. After all, electrically
hauled freight that comes down the GEML has to recess and re-engine there.
As well as gauge clearance, loop lengths, and signalling improvements from
Ipswich to Birmingham via Peterborough and Leicester there will be a need
for doubling some or all of the Felixtowe branch, and some new connections
at Nuneaton so that freight from Felixtowe to the North West can easily take
advantage of the Trent Valley 4-tracking.

Peter