Maritime welcomes additional service to East Midlands Gateway

PRESS RELEASE: Maritime Transport Ltd. (Maritime) is pleased to announce two new developments at its East Midlands Gateway (EMG) terminal; the launch of a new intermodal service operated by GB Railfreight connecting the Port of Southampton to EMG, and the recommencement of Freightliner’s EMG service from the Port of Felixstowe. Both services will see COSCO Shipping and OOCL using the terminal for the first time, marking Maritime’s continued expansion into the intermodal market and ongoing commitment to providing a full end-to-end UK logistics solution to its customer-base.

Running five-days-a-week, the new service marked a milestone as the first GB Railfreight train ever to enter EMG, and represents their twentieth service to date.

Despite downturn in container traffic and ongoing economic uncertainties caused by COVID-19, EMG remains fully operational with three dedicated services so far to support Maritime’s customers and partners. The 17-acre interchange opened officially in February as part of the 700-acre logistics park developed by SEGRO, and is capable of handling up to sixteen 775metre-long freight trains daily with storage capacity for 4,000TEU as well as open access. Three Sany reach stackers and two Sany empty container handlers on-site ensure minimal disruption to services and quick turnaround times. The site will eventually host a new 20,000 sq. ft. headquarters for Maritime’s rail subdivision, Maritime Intermodal, to house operations staff, state-of-the-art training facilities, and parking for a fleet of up to 100 HGV’s.

John Bailey, Managing Director – Intermodal and Terminals at Maritime Transport, said:

‘As the country begins its return to a new normal, we are delighted to welcome COSCO, OOCL and GB Railfreight to EMG and extend our much-valued partnership with them. The resumed service to Felixstowe and the new Southampton service will enable UK businesses even more ways of moving their goods from A to B. We are incredibly proud of what our drivers and staff have achieved in the short space of time that the terminal has been open; meeting our customers’ needs and unique requirements is at the very heart of what we do and we look forward to providing additional services in the near future.’

John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, said:

‘We are thrilled to have launched our first service into Maritime’s open access terminal at East Midlands Gateway. Like Maritime, we are committed to keeping Britain on the right lines during these unprecedented times. We look forward to expanding our capacity in the Midlands region and providing sustainable, highly-reliable, and environmentally-friendly solutions.’

Mr Zhang Zhendong, Managing Director at COSCO Shipping Lines UK Limited, said:

‘Having worked with Maritime for a number of years, we are extremely proud and excited to see our first containers into their new terminal via rail, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our environment and save many more road miles as we continue to go that extra mile to meet our customers’ needs.’