Rail Freight

Low-carbon UK rail freight delivered through a national terminal network and daily services, with integrated road and storage operations.

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About Our Rail Freight Solutions

We’re driving long-term modal shift through continuous investment in rail freight infrastructure, services, and capability. Rail produces significantly fewer emissions than road and removes thousands of HGV journeys from the UK’s busiest routes, offering a cleaner, more efficient solution for long-distance movements.

Nine open-access, multi-user rail terminals

50+ daily rail services connecting major ports, industrial areas, and inland terminals

Network-wide loaded and empty container storage and M&R facilities

Infrastructure designed for the UK’s longest and heaviest freight trains

120+ handling machines including ECHs, FLTs, gantry cranes, reach stackers, and straddle carriers

Integrated road fleets for first and final miles including eHGVs and charging infrastructure

Flexible contract models across dedicated and shared-use services

24/7 terminal teams ensuring round-the-clock support

end-to-end

Our Process

An overview of our typical delivery process for rail freight, showing how this solution is managed end-to-end. If your requirements fall outside this process, our team can advise on the most appropriate setup.

Book

Send your movement details by email, online form, or EDI. We confirm availability and agree rail dates or suitable alternatives.

Plan

Your container is scheduled through our national rail network using the most efficient route and timings to meet your requirements.

Import/Export

Import: We collect from your nominated port or storage location, completing all required checks, documentation, and operational procedures. Export: We ensure containers are booked to the correct port and planned to meet known or requested cut-offs.

Track

24/7 support from our customer service teams keep you fully informed throughout the journey.

Deliver

We complete the delivery within the agreed window.

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Rail Freight

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Key benefits of choosing us for your Rail Freight needs

With integrated road, rail, and container terminal operations, Maritime provides a single, connected logistics network that delivers reliable, low-carbon transport across the UK.

Established UK Rail Operator

One of the UK’s largest intermodal rail operators, with a long-standing and growing presence across domestic and containerised rail freight, trusted by ports, shipping lines and logistics partners nationwide.

National Rail Network

Nine strategically located, open-access, multi-user terminals, with over 50 daily rail services connecting major ports, inland markets, and industrial locations across the UK.

Seamless Road-Rail Integration

All our rail terminals have their own dedicated vehicle fleets, enabling direct transfer between rail and road without third-party reliance, improving efficiency, reducing handling time, and maintaining service continuity across the network.

Lower-Carbon Transport

Rail freight produces up to 76% fewer CO2 emissions per tonne-kilometre than transporting the same load by road. Our continued investment in rail expansion, eHGVs, and emissions reporting supports long-term carbon reduction across end-to-end supply chains.

Predictable Transit Times

Our rail services are monitored in real time through CYMAN and TOPS. These systems record every stage of a container’s journey, from arrival to final delivery, providing live ETAs and service updates.

Ongoing Investment in Rail Capacity

Continued investment in rail infrastructure, equipment, and technology strengthens long-term capacity, network resilience, and service reliability across our intermodal rail operations.

New Infrastructure

Major projects, including our newest 17-acre rail terminal at Northampton Gateway, are increasing national rail capacity and unlocking additional paths, services, and future growth across the UK rail network.

Projects and Partnerships

DP World’s Modal Shift Programme was introduced to increase the financial attractiveness of rail for loaded import containers moving inland from Southampton. We operate several rail terminals within the programme’s incentive zone, creating more opportunities for containers arriving at Southampton to move inland by rail:

Hams Hall Rail Freight Terminal
Birmingham Rail Freight Terminal
East Midlands Gateway Rail Freight Terminal
Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Terminal
London Rail Freight Terminal

Our locations

A National Network

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Rail Freight That Goes Further

To strengthen its role within UK supply chains, we’ve expanded our rail terminal footprint to nine open-access, multi-user sites nationwide. Our rail operations handle both domestic and containerised cargo across a wide range of sectors spanning manufacturing, retail, FMCG, and contract logistics, with integrated storage, flexible contract models, and first and final-mile fleets to meet all your operational needs.

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Frequently asked questions

Rail Freight

About Our Rail Freight Solutions

Our Process

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