UK: Rail and road logistics company Maritime Transport has held a ceremony to officially open the Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton, its ninth rail freight terminal.
The 7 ha facility, which is owned by industrial property developer SEGRO and operated by Maritime, can accommodate up to 16 train services per day, with container storage capacity exceeding 2 500 TEU. It has direct northbound and southbound connections to the West Coast Main Line via the Northampton loop, and is adjacent to Junction 15 of the M1 motorway with 90% of the UK population within a 4 h drive.
A five-days-a-week intermodal service connecting Northampton with DP World Southampton was launched in June last year, ahead of the ceremonial opening event held on February 27. Additional services are planned as part of a phased expansion to provide further connections to ports and other freight interchanges.
The official opening ‘represents another significant milestone in our journey from a small container haulier to a fully integrated road and rail freight logistics partner’, said John Williams, Executive Chairman of Maritime Transport. ’Since 2019, we have invested more than £100m in developing our rail terminal network, with further investment planned to increase national capacity, strengthen connectivity between the UK’s major ports and inland markets and expand the rail capability available to our customers. We are committed to creating the cleanest, most sustainable full-load supply chain in the country, utilising rail for long-distance journeys and eHGVs for first and final miles, and Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Terminal is an important step in delivering that ambition.’
Paul Dunne, Managing Director for Operations, Digital & Customer at SEGRO, said ‘strategic rail freight interchanges are complex, capital-intensive infrastructure projects that only happen where we have the right location, policy environment and long-term commitment from developers, operators and government. At SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton, we have invested over £80m to build the freight terminal and rail connections to the WCML, helping strengthen the UK’s rail freight network while supporting international trade and national supply chain resilience.’
