DP World in the UK has announced that its two deep-water ports at Southampton and London Gateway became the first in the country capable of handling Freightliner’s new 775-metre intermodal container trains – strengthening the role of the smart logistics hubs in Britain’s international supply chain.
The longest train in use on the national rail network, the new 775-metre trains are 250-metres longer than a typical freight train and carry between 12 and 14 additional containers on each service, generating significant cost and environmental benefits for customers transporting goods to and from the ports. The trains depart the freight rail terminals at Southampton and London Gateway every working day of the week to Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds respectively carrying a range of goods.
Ernst Schulze, Chief Executive of DP World in the UK, said, “Both ports already have a high degree of rail interconnectivity, with Southampton having the highest proportion of containers moved by train in the UK at more than 30% and London Gateway aiming to achieve similar levels.”
“The emphasis on rail across both ports takes 300,000 trucks off UK roads each year, bringing significant environmental benefits and we expect this number to continue to grow. Our aim is to be a partner in our customers’ business success, providing fast, reliable and flexible links to international supply chains and markets.”
Eddie Aston, Chief Executive Officer for Freightliner and parent company Genesee & Wyoming’s UK/Europe Region said, “Running container train services at 775-metre not only improves the productivity and efficiency of rail freight but has significant environmental gains.
The three daily roundtrips 775-metre intermodal trains that Freightliner is currently running from the Port of Southampton are collectively saving over 4m road miles and 9,500 tonnes of carbon emissions (CO2e) per year, further contributing to the government’s commitment to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.
Earlier this year the Government awarded freeport status to DP World Southampton (as part of Solent Freeport) and DP World London Gateway (as part of Thames Freeport), positioning the two smart logistics hubs to continue supporting regional growth across ports, warehousing and manufacturing for decades to come.
Source: DP World
