New rail freight terminal launches its first route
A NEW rail freight terminal serving a massive warehouse development on the Derbyshire/Leicestershire border has started operations.
Operated by Maritime Intermodal, the new terminal at SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, near Castle Donington, connects the site to major UK ports.
This week, the terminal started operating its first route to Felixstowe, in Suffolk, which is the UK’s busiest container port.
Maritime Intermodal, which is a sub-division of Maritime Transport, said that further services are expected to be announced in the coming months.
SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway is a 700-acre development with planning consent for up to six million sq ft of warehousing and logistics accommodation.
The development, which is anticipated to create more than 7,000 jobs, is already home to major companies such as Amazon and Kuehne and Nagel, with Nestle/XPO Logistics, Shop Direct and Games Workshop set to start operating from the site in the near future.
It is expected that these firms will take advantage of the new rail freight terminal, which at full capacity will be capable of handling up to sixteen 775 metre-long freight trains daily.
As well as operating rail services, the terminal will provide storage capacity for more than 50,000 pallets of cargo.
The rail terminal site will also host a new 20,000 sq ft headquarters for Maritime Intermodal to house operations staff, training facilities and parking for a fleet of up to 100 trucks.
John Bailey, managing director of intermodal and terminals at Maritime, said: “We’re delighted to be extending our rail offering with this new service, our first of many at EMG, which is set to open a new intermodal market for the industry, increasing productivity and removing truck miles from the Midlands’ major routes.
“The growth we’ve seen in the rail sector already is a testament to our commitment to meeting our customers’ needs and we look forward to introducing further services in the near future.”
Andrew Pilsworth, business unit director (national logistics) at SEGRO, said: “The start of rail freight services to and from East Midlands Gateway is a major step forward for the long-term future of the development and is great news for those who live in, travel through or do business in the region.
“Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges are recognised by the Government as being nationally important pieces of infrastructure, both economically and environmentally, and the demand for the efficient movement of goods - driven by customer demand and technology - shows no sign of slowing down.”