10.06.13
Port of Felixstowe doubles rail freight capacity with new terminal
A new rail terminal has been officially opened at the Port of Felixstowe, doubling rail capacity. The £40m investment is part of a scheme to increase capacity and is co-financed by the EU Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) programme.
The work allows the port to accommodate trains of up toe 35-wagons length, with 10km on new track and nine additional tracks to boost capacity. Services at Felixstowe will be operated by Freightliner Limited.
Clemence Cheng, chief executive officer of the port’s owner Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, said: “Rail is becoming the mode of choice for an increasing number of shipping lines, forwarders and shippers to move their goods to and from ports. It provides cost, environmental and reliability benefits for many customers and the Port of Felixstowe offers more rail services, to more destinations, more often than any other UK port.
“By allowing us to run longer trains, as well as more of them, it will allow users of the port to improve the efficiency of their supply chains and at the same time reducing cost for them.”
Transport minster Stephen Hammond said: “Felixstowe has long been at the forefront of efforts to promote the use of rail for container freight and thus to reduce congestion and environmental impact from HGVs.
“The investment in this terminal will also complement Network Rail's own investment in the Strategic Freight Network, which the Department for Transport is supporting.”
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