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Maritime Transport welcomes fifth rail freight service to East Midlands terminal

Posted 14 Dec 2020

Maritime Transport is pleased to welcome a fifth daily intermodal rail service to its terminal at East Midlands Gateway (EMG).

The new service, launched by Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) Ltd. (MSC UK) and operated by GB Railfreight, runs five days a week, and provides the UK’s first-ever intermodal route between the Port of Liverpool and the East Midlands region.

Commenting on the new service, John Williams, Group Executive Chairman at Maritime, stated: ‘We are delighted to welcome the MSC UK Liverpool service into our terminal at EMG, strengthening our partnership with MSC UK and further underpinning the commitment that Maritime has made to the intermodal market. In under 12 months, the terminal now receives five daily services connecting the UK’s four leading ports.’

‘We are very pleased to announce that, together with our partners, we have launched the first daily intermodal rail connection between the Port of Liverpool and the East Midlands,’ said Jonathan Burke, Operations Director at MSC UK. ‘This new service enhances our nationwide port and intermodal network, further strengthening the breadth of our offering to clients whilst helping to reduce carbon emissions.’

EMG has seen unprecedented demand since its official opening in March this year. Daily services currently running in and out of the terminal include one to DP World London Gateway operated by DB Cargo UK, two to the Port of Felixstowe also hauled by DB Cargo UK and Freightliner, and one to the Port of Southampton hauled by GB Railfreight. The 17-acre interchange is capable of handling up to sixteen 775metre-long freight trains daily with storage capacity for 4,000TEU as well as open access. 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 Smith, Managing Director at GB Railfreight, stated, ‘GB Railfreight prides itself on innovation and commitment to partnership. We are delighted to be working with our customer MSC, Peel Ports and Maritime Transport in delivering a new intermodal service into the Port of Liverpool – one which will see 20,000 lorry journeys off our roads.’