UK: Logistics company Maritime Transport and industrial property developer SEGRO have signed two agreements covering the operation and expansion of rail freight facilities in the Midlands.
Maritime is to be the rail operator at the SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton development adjacent to Junction 15 of the M1 motorway. This includes the long-term lease of a 6·9 ha open access intermodal terminal with 775 m sidings and a capacity of up to 16 trains/day when fully operational.
SEGRO and Maritime have also agreed terms to expand the rail facility at the SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway near Castle Donington, doubling the capacity of the terminal. This is the first agreement signed since the site’s designation as the UK’s only inland freeport.
The rail terminal has seen substantial growth since opening in 2020, with an average of 10 000 containers moving through the terminal every month. The second phase to be completed by Q3 2023 will provide two more sidings, a further 4·9 ha of container storage, parking for 115 HGVs and an office and welfare building.
The terminal currently handles six trains per day to and from locations including Felixstowe, Liverpool, London Gateway and Southampton. All occupiers at the site use the rail terminal, including Kuehne + Nagel, Arvato, Games Workshop and DHL.
‘Rail freight is proven to be an efficient, reliable and more sustainable method for transporting goods across the UK and has a key role to play as the UK transitions to lower carbon growth’, explained Andrew Pilsworth, Managing Director, National Logistics at SEGRO, on June 14.
‘It’s great to have Maritime on board to deliver the next phase at the site as well as the purpose-built strategic rail interchange at SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton.’
