New straddle carriers up and running at Maritime’s Midlands terminal

Maritime Transport Ltd. (Maritime) has unveiled two new Konecranes Noell NSC 644 E straddle carriers at its Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal (BIFT). Both carriers will improve service reliability for its customer-base as well as terminal efficiency, as Maritime’s expansion into the rail sector continues.

This news is the latest in a number of asset acquisitions Maritime is making across its network, including new vehicles, trailers and container lifting equipment. In addition to these investments, Maritime has recently announced depot moves in Tilbury and Doncaster, and has completed the refurbishment of its newly-acquired rail terminal in Wakefield, all whilst securing new services for its intermodal customers and preparing to launch its latest intermodal rail freight terminal, East Midlands Gateway (EMG).

The new diesel-electric straddle carriers have a four-high capacity with Konecranes Noell single-lift spreaders, replacing previous units at the terminal to provide a faster, more reliable process of loading and unloading containers. Two years’ remote service support is also included in Maritime’s latest contract with Konecranes, as well as scope for two additional carriers.

Commenting on the new machinery, Stuart Wardlaw, Fleet Director at Maritime Transport, stated: ‘We are committed to investing in our infrastructure to ensure we can deliver the best possible service to our customers, however unique their requirements are, and look forward to taking advantage of the benefits these two new machines will bring to our day to day operations at BIFT.’

Maritime acquired BIFT in 2014 as part of the Roadways Container Logistics deal, and has grown the terminal’s operation from one daily service to five. Turnaround times for the rail hub are some of the best in the industry, and the new straddle carriers, now in operation, are a testament to the investment Maritime continues to make in rail, proving its commitment to providing unrivalled services to its customers.

‘We’re incredibly proud of our Konecranes Noell straddle carriers and the role they’ll play in Maritime’s container handling operation in the Midlands,’ said Neil Griffiths, Sales and Service Director (UK) – Konecranes. ‘As Maritime’s rapid growth in the intermodal sector continues, we will endeavour to provide excellent service support to help ensure they remain market leaders.'