Balfour Beatty has completed the renewal of Saxmundham junction in Suffolk, replacing the manually operated connection to the Leiston branch with a powered junction as Sizewell C increases construction freight movements by rail. Network Rail confirmed on 2 November 2026 that the work had been completed safely and on time following a nine-day possession from 24 October to 1 November.
The junction connects the Sizewell branch with the East Suffolk Line and forms part of the rail route being prepared for heavy construction freight serving Sizewell C. Greater Anglia passenger services between Halesworth and Ipswich resumed on 2 November following the handback.
Balfour Beatty crews carry out track and junction works at Saxmundham during the nine-day possession for the Sizewell C rail programme. Photo: Network Rail
From manual junction to through freight
The completed Saxmundham renewal replaced the manually operated junction with powered equipment intended to improve operational flexibility for both passenger and freight traffic. Network Rail's pre-possession programme described the work as a powered crossover controlled through an integrated signalling system from Saxmundham signal box.
Engineers also used the closure to work on signalling equipment between Westerfield and Halesworth and to install future safety equipment at Bealings crossing. Network Rail said Balfour Beatty carried out the junction renewal on behalf of Sizewell C, working alongside Network Rail, while Atkins engineers were deployed at other locations during the programme.
The timing matters because Sizewell C had already started commercial rail deliveries before the Saxmundham work was completed. The first commercial freight train reached the construction site in September 2026 through the new Green Rail Route, carrying more than 1,000 tonnes of material from Tunstead Quarry near Buxton.
Sizewell C said at the time that trains would make a brief stop at Saxmundham until Network Rail completed the later East Suffolk Line upgrades. Once those works were finished, trains would be able to continue directly towards the construction site without that intermediate stop.
Rail freight is already scaling up
Sizewell C plans to transport up to 60% of the construction materials required for the new nuclear power station by rail and sea. The first phase of commercial operation started with two overnight aggregate services, with the rail programme designed to increase to up to four freight trains a day at peak operation.
Each full train can replace around 50 HGV journeys, according to Sizewell C. The project expects around 100,000 tonnes of material to be delivered by rail between the start of commercial operations and Christmas 2026, equivalent to approximately 5,000 avoided HGV journeys.
The 2.8km Green Rail Route connects the upgraded Sizewell branch directly with the Temporary Construction Area, allowing construction materials to reach the site without passing through Leiston by road. The first commercial train was around 270 metres long and used box wagons hauled by a Class 66 locomotive.
Saxmundham sits inside a wider rail programme
The Sizewell Rail Programme is funded by Sizewell C and includes work on both the East Suffolk Line and the branch between Saxmundham and Leiston. Network Rail's programme includes track renewals at Burnt House and Wickham Market, level-crossing work including Darsham, the Saxmundham crossover and new signals at Wickham Market.
The branch-line package includes renewal of 4.5 miles of track, replacement of jointed rail with continuously welded rail, a new signalling system and upgrades to seven level crossings with barriers, road traffic lights and monitoring equipment. Snowdens crossing on the branch and Uffold crossing on the East Suffolk Line are also scheduled for closure under the programme.
AtkinsRéalis' published Sizewell C scope includes design of upgrades to the Sizewell Branch Line and the Green Rail Route as part of its wider engineering role on the project. Network Rail's 2 November completion statement refers to Atkins engineers working at other locations during the possession but identifies Balfour Beatty as the contractor that completed the Saxmundham junction renewal.
No separate junction value in the published programme
LCM's review of Network Rail and Sizewell C programme material on 2 November 2026 found no separate contract value for the Saxmundham junction renewal. Network Rail describes the wider rail programme as being funded by Sizewell C and says Balfour Beatty worked on behalf of the project for the junction renewal, but the public material reviewed does not assign a standalone price to the Saxmundham package.
The completed renewal removes one of the operational constraints identified when commercial freight started in September. Sizewell C is now moving from the first rail deliveries towards a planned peak of up to four trains a day, with the upgraded junction forming the connection between the East Suffolk Line and the branch serving the construction site.
| LCM project record: Saxmundham junction renewal | |
|---|---|
| Location | Saxmundham, Suffolk |
| Client / funder | Sizewell C |
| Contractor and role | Balfour Beatty, junction renewal on behalf of Sizewell C |
| Other confirmed team | Network Rail; AtkinsRéalis |
| Stage | Junction renewal completed; passenger services resumed 2 November 2026 |
| Possession | 24 October to 1 November 2026 |
| Freight programme | Commercial freight operating; planned to increase to up to four trains a day |
| Sources | Network Rail completion update; Network Rail Sizewell Rail Programme; Sizewell C freight update; AtkinsRéalis project record |
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