UK – It seems the new intermodal service operated by GB Railfreight (GBRf) connecting the Port of Southampton to the East Midlands Gateway (EMG) rail terminal operated by Maritime Transport was not the only win for the Felixstowe headquartered group. Freightliner has also recommenced its service from the Suffolk port to EMG, further supporting Maritime's evolution from road haulage to a multimodal logistics operation.
Whilst the five-days-a-week GBRf service marked a milestone as the first GB Railfreight train ever to enter EMG, both the routes will also see COSCO Shipping and OOCL using the terminal for the first time where, despite the ravages to 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.
John Bailey, Managing Director, Intermodal and Terminals at Maritime Transport, reiterated what he said last week when the GBRf service was announced saying that, as the country returns to normal post pandemic he was delighted to welcome COSCO, OOCL and GB Railfreight to EMG and extend a much-valued partnership with all of them.
Maritime intends to locate its rail subdivision, Maritime Intermodal, in its own 20,000 square foot headquarters at EMG’s 17-acre interchange which opened officially in February as part of the 700-acre logistics park developed by SEGRO, . John Smith, Managing Director of GB Railfreight, commented:
”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.”
Tangible support for the extended intermodal services came from Mr Zhang Zhendong, Managing Director at COSCO Shipping Lines UK Limited who observed:
”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.”
Dansk Bilspedition A/S
