Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Thursday, 18 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026. It was answered by Keir Mather (Labour) on Thursday, 25 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Ports: Infrastructure

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve surface access connectivity to major ports in England.

Answer: Government is aware of the importance of efficient road and rail connections to enable ports to be effective gateways for trade and handle increasing volumes of freight. The Government is delivering major projects to provide a step change in port connectivity, with the Lower Thames Crossing in the South and Trans Pennine Route Upgrade in the North. In March 2026, the Government announced over £27 billion of investment in the Strategic Road Network through the third Road Investment Strategy, which includes a new performance metric for National Highways to reduce delays on gateway routes. In addition, Great British Railways will work to improve rail access with an overall target of a 75% increase in rail freight moved by 2050.

Secondary information