The leader of one of the UK's busiest ports has urged the government to prioritise railway upgrades so that more freight trains can carry cargo around the UK.

Chief executive of Hutchison Ports - the firm that operates the Port of Felixstowe - Clemence Cheng thinks developing the region's rail lines is a more pressing matter than enhancing the A14, the East Anglian Daily Times reports.

He said that only three per cent of traffic on the A14 is freight coming from Felixstowe, which explains why he would rather see road improvement plans put on the backburner.

His comments came shortly after the government sanctioned a £1.5 billion development of the carriageway.

Mr Cheng reiterated the point that rail freight is far more eco-friendly than transporting goods via motorways. The authorities are keen to take more HGVs off the road, but the rising demand for cargo trains could put the UK's rail infrastructure under immense strain.

"At the moment there is not sufficient diversion routes for these trains to go on. Even though we can handle long trains, the system can't cope," Mr Cheng was quoted as saying.