Landmark deal paves way for return of regular cross-Channel rail freight

Regular rail freight traffic through the Channel Tunnel will help reduce pollution, potholes and congestion while providing new jobs across the UK.

British businesses could soon gain direct rail freight links to the continent, as a landmark deal paves the way for the return of regular cross-Channel rail freight.    

The government-backed deal, announced today (25 February 2026), will see Network Rail and its property development company Platform4 take long-term control over the Barking Eurohub site in east London, currently owned by Legal & General (L&G), with plans for around £15 million of investment to transform it into an international logistics hub.

This investment will help support the return of regular intermodal freight trains, which carry cargo in containers that can be easily transferred across rail, road and sea, through the Channel Tunnel.

This could see British businesses directly import and export goods via rail to France, Germany, Italy and Spain, deepening trade links with Europe and could open the possibility for Scottish whisky, British white goods and consumer goods to be exported on trains to European customers, or London’s bustling food markets to get fresh fruit and vegetables direct from growers on the continent.